Bomb kills 2 monks, 2 soldiers hurt

16 May, 2011
Source: Bangkok Post

Two Buddhist monks were killed and two soldiers seriously wounded by a bomb explosion in Yala's Yaha district on Monday morning.

The attack took place about 6.15am while six soldiers of the Yala Task Force 14 led by Sgt Montree Kraithep were taking two monks from Wat Suan Kaew in Pulae village of tambon Baro to collect alms in Yaha district town.

Two of the six soldiers were travelling with the monks on a pick-up truck, two riding on a motorcycle ahead of the truck, and two others on another motorcycle were at the rear

As they approached Bayo village in tambon Baro on the Yaha - Bannang Sata road, a home-made bomb planted in the road was detonated by insurgents hiding on the roadside.

The impact of the explosion flung the pick-up truck about 10m from the spot. The two monks - Phra Samuh Chatri Kantarato, 47, the abbot of Wat Suan Kaew, and Phra Thirapong Dongmali, 40 - died in the explosion.

Pvt Thanakorn Noochai, 22, and Pvt Kraisorn Modkhan, 22, who were also on the vehicle, were seriously wounded.

After detonating the bomb, the insurgents opened fire at the four other policemen. The two sides exchanged shots for about 15 minutes before the attackers fled.

The bomb, made from a gas cylinder, weighed about 15kg and left a large hole in the road.

Pol Lt-Col Prasom Kuanoon, the crime suppression chief of Yaha police, believed it was the work of a group of insurgents under Hubaideela Romuelee of the RKK separatist group operating in the area.

The group was responsible for a bomb which killed nine hunters and wounded two others in this area on Jan 25 this year, he said.