YALA, 25 July 2014 – Security officers in the southern border provinces have been ordered to step up their patrol in the wake of a car bomb in Betong district of Yala that left behind scores of casualties.
A combined force of police, soldiers, explosive ordnance disposal officers and investigators rushed to the scene of the car explosion in front of Betong Holiday Hill Hotel in Betong district. The bomb was reportedly attached to a pickup truck with a fake license plate and was detonated with a mobile phone 15 minutes after the vehicle was parked at the spot.
Since the incident took place in a densely populated area in the heart of the city, the impact of the blast caused extensive damages on nearby residences, hotels and shops. Two people, one male and one female, were killed while 36 others were wounded, some seriously.
Chief of the National Council for Peace and Order Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha has instructed all concerned security agencies to intensify their operations throughout the southernmost region and stringently monitor against suspicious activities.
The latest car bomb in Betong district was completely unexpected as the situation in the area had been rather peaceful, with no insurgent attacks in the last seven years.
