Bombs kill 2 in insurgency-racked S Thailand

Bangkok, Mar 16: Two explosions targeting an up-market city hotel in insurgent violence-racked south Thailand killed two people and injured several others. The bombs were planted under a car outside the hotel in Pattani province and in a restroom inside the hotel.

The CS Pattani Hotel, targeted by last night's bomb blasts, is frequented by senior officials and dignitaries and was thought to be well secured from likely terror strikes by Islamic separatists in Thailand's three southern border provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat. Nearly 3,000 people have been killed in insurgent violence over the past four years in the Muslim-majority provinces which were also ethnically distinct from Buddhist-majourity Thailand.

The area was part of an independent Malay sultanate a century ago.

UNI