THAILAND: At least 22 bombs exploded almost simultaneously yesterday inside commercial banks in southern Thailand, killing two people and injuring 28 in a region which has seen considerable violence as a consequence of a Muslim insurgency.
The home-made bombs, which were triggered by mobile phone signals, were placed in rubbish bins, in hollowed-out books at newspaper stands and close to seats where customers wait for service, said Maj-Gen Paithoon Choochaiya, who heads the provincial security force.
A review of closed-circuit video showed that some of the explosives had been planted by women, police said.
The bombs were set off in 22 of the 30 bank branches located in Yala province.
More than 1,500 people have been killed in the insurgency, which began in early 2004, most of them in the Muslim-dominated provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani.
The rebels are fighting to secede from a country where Buddhists form the vast majority of the population.
The targets of the rebels have included government officials, teachers, police, Buddhist monks and many Muslims suspected of collaboration with the government.