The kingdom's junta leadership has denied that the recent tourist town bombings marked an expansion of the insurgency further north.The latest blast struck before midnight on the outskirts of Pattani, one of three Muslim-majority southern provinces battered by a long-running and shadowy insurgency. (Photo: AFP) The latest blast struck before midnight on the outskirts of Pattani, one of three Muslim-majority southern provinces battling insurgency.Near-daily shootings and roadside bombs have left more than 6,500 dead since 2004, most of them civilians.

The military also stands accused of routinely abusing human rights in the region, including torturing detainees and extrajudicial killings."So far there is one killed and more than 30 injured," said Major General Thanongsak Wangsupa, Pattani provincial police commander.Zachary Abuza, an expert on Southeast Asian militant groups, said the hotel attack was "nothing new" in insurgent tactics.Police said in a statement that the Pattani hotel blast was preceded by a smaller bomb at a nearby bar, a so-called "double tap" tactic often adopted by insurgents. No-one was injured in the earlier blast.The latest blast struck before midnight on the outskirts of Pattani, one of three Muslim-majority southern provinces battling insurgency.A staff member at the town's hospital said 32 people were injured, five of them critically. A Thai bomb squad inspects the site of a deadly bombing in the southern province of Pattani.Pictures showed fires burning on the road outside the hotel, its facade heavily damaged.But the violence has largely remained local and rarely makes international headlines."But they're clearly trying to send a signal that with the post Mothers' Day bombing spree they are able to hit major urban areas," he told AFP, referring to the tourist town attacks that fell on a Thai national holiday..Pattani is not popular with tourists, but analysts said the militants were sending a wholesale instant hot water faucet message after the string of coordinated bomb and arson attacks that struck multiple resort towns on August 11-12, leaving four dead and 37 injured.Thailand annexed the culturally distinct zone bordering Malaysia over a century ago.However the police investigation into the attacks is increasingly pointing southwards, with Thailand's top officer on Monday saying most of those behind the blasts were believed to be Muslims who hailed from the deep south.Pattani, Thailand: A large car bomb exploded Wednesday outside a hotel in Thailand's deep south, killing one and wounding more than 30 in a nation already on edge after a bombing spree that targeted tourist towns.Violent historyMost embassies warn nationals against all travel to Pattani because of the long-running conflict between the Buddhist-majority state and Muslim rebels seeking greater autonomy. Nearby a car was destroyed and karaoke bars, massage parlours and restaurants were also damaged."The hotel building was considerably damaged," he said.The rebels never claim their attacks but factions are known to be frustrated with their lack of progress after more than a decade of fighting.Those attacks heightened concerns Thailand's southern insurgency may have spread after years of stalled peace talks -- a theory the country's junta has downplayed given the importance of tourism to the economy

Hide Comments | Add Comment

Hide Comments | Add Comment