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[koykaeng]

Series of bombs rock Hat Yai
Four killed, 70 injured as militants set off six explosions at hotels, shopping areas in the heart of town

Hat Yai, the main commercial and tourist centre in the South, was hit by a series of bomb blasts last night, killing four and injuring at least 70 people.

The first of the six bombs went off at around 9pm and the other five exploded about five minutes apart.

The explosions occurred in front of the Big C department store on Lop Buri Ramate road, Lee Gardens Hotel on Sanehanusorn road, Monkey Pub on Thammanoonvithee road, Odean Shopping Mall on Niphat Uthit road, in a cinema toilet near the Diana department store on Sripoovanart road and the sixth one also on Thammanoonvithee road.

The injured were rushed to the Prince of Songkhla and Rajyindee hospitals, and only about five were said to be in serious condition.

Most of the bombs were planted in areas popular with tourists.

Authorities said the bombs were planted on parked motorcycles and all mobile phone signals were ordered cut off after the blasts to prevent more attacks.

Rueseeda Kinsa, a shop owner near the Odean Shopping Mall, said she saw panic-stricken tourists and locals running in all directions after the blast.

The explosions were likely being used by the militants to mark the anniversary of the creation of the Gerakan Mujahidin Pattani insurgent movement and to protest the state-organised ''Peace Project'' gathering in Yala. No one has claimed responsibility for the blasts.

A security official said the bombs were planted to publicise the GMP and Hat Yai was selected because it was a key city in the South. Security measures had been stepped up over the past week in only the three southernmost provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala.

The Fourth Army refused to say who was responsible for the attacks, or whether it was linked to the Muslim militants. It only said that its bomb disposal units were assisting the local police in clearing the scenes of the blasts and would only offer comments when more evidence was in hand.

A source at the Supreme Command said soldiers were sent to the Kuan Lung area near Hat Yai to round up 12 suspects believed to be linked to the insurgency in the restive South and to yesterday's bombings.

The last time the city was hit by explosions was on April 3 last year, when the Hat Yai airport was bombed.

In Yala yesterday, about 1,500 young Thai Muslims, including former separatist leaders and their supporters, turned out to attend yesterday's ''Peace Project'' gathering in a bid to help end the southern insurgency.

But their number was well below expectations, as officers had hoped to see twice the number. Around 3,000 young Muslims live around the Yala Central Mosque, the conference venue.

The group only gave the officers a list of 3,000 people willing to help the government handle the insurgency.

''It is the greatest gathering of Thai Muslims ever held, though the number still fell short of target,'' a source said.

On the list are 40 separatist leaders and their 500 supporters, who once fled to Malaysia before returning to Thailand to hide in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.

Many were young ustazes, or Islamic school teachers, who agreed to help battle the insurgency, which gathered pace two years ago when insurgents attacked a military camp in Narathiwat.

Meanwhile, in Narathiwat's Rueso district, former village head Abduloh Samoh, 44, was shot by gunmen in his house yesterday. He died later at hospital.

Source: Bangkok Post - Sunday 17th September 2006