At the bombing scene in Yala (Photo: VNA)
Bangkok (VNA) -Two bombs exploded in front of a government office in Thailand's southern Yalaprovince on March 17, leaving 18 people injured.
The explosions took placein front of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC), a Thaigovernment body that oversees the administration of the three mostlyMalay-Muslim majority provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala, where aninsurgency since 2004 has killed some 7,000 people.
Col. Pramote Prom-in, a regional military security spokesman, said thefirst bomb was a grenade thrown to the area outside the SBPAC office fenceto draw people out.
Then a carbomb about 10m from the first explosion went off. This was hidden in a pick-uptruck which the perpetrators parked near the fence. Eighteen were wounded andno one died, he said.
According tothe officer, the car bomb exploded ten minutes after the first explosion andamong the wounded are five reporters, five police officers, two soldiers andother bystanders.
There hasbeen not any immediate claim of responsibility./.
