YALA, 27 November 2014 – The southern province of Yala kicked off a one-day security drill on Wednesday, aiming to increase the city’s ability to better deal with emergency situations.
The drill, which lasted from 7 am to 11 pm with all security units including bomb squads and local residents joining in, was divided into four different scenarios, beginning with a normal situation which later escalated into an emergency after a bomb was found and destroyed by a bomb squad.
The second scenario started when another bomb exploded in Yala’s downtown, injuring five people. Authorities then blocked all routes in and out of the city at night to search for perpetrators and prevent possible further attack.
Yala has been targeted by insurgents many times, but the city has always managed to come back to normal time and time again. Increase efficiency of its security system is aimed at shoring up confidence of local residents and business operators in going about their daily life.
