An impressive series of explosions due to 41 small yet numerous bombs, occurred in Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala provinces in Thailand on Thursday, killing at least 2 people and wounding 16, Reuters informs.


The bombs were placed in police stations, checkpoints and government buildings in these three provinces, situated in the southern part of the country, which is renown for its Muslim dominance, whose religious communities were involved in active separatist insurgency that led to the death of 1,300 people in only two years.

In a telephone interview, a Kokpoe police officer stated that the biggest bomb was placed in a teashop near Kopkoe police station, killing a Buddhist councilor and wounding 10 civilians; another bomb was placed outside Pattani Provincial Hall, killing a security guard. Other bombs exploded at library in Pattani, at Yala City Hall and a police station in Yala.

According to Thai Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, security forces had found out about the attacks prior to the moment they actually took place. These attacks were destined to mark the establishment of once independent Pattani kingdom, but annexed to Thailand a hundred years ago. Nevertheless, they failed to prevent them due to a lack of efficiency. In an interview with reporters from news agencies, Shinawatra stated: "We knew these were going to happen, but the prevention measures weren't working effectively. Therefore we have some losses."

Interior Minister Kongsak Wantana declared that the bombs seem to have been made in a "neighboring country in the south", which many have speculated is Malaysia, since it is known that authorities in Bangkok have claimed on many occasions that Malaysian separatists gather there in order to organize their assaults.