April 29, 2008
YALA, Thailand - Suspected separatists killed an elderly man and wounded two paramilitaries in attacks in southern Thailand on the anniversary of a deadly mosque raid, police said Tuesday.
Two volunteer soldiers, both Muslim men, were wounded when a bomb hidden near their station exploded in Pattani province late Monday night said.
A 70-year-old Buddhist man had earlier been killed in a drive-by shooting in the same province, in an attack police said was probably carried out by rebels fighting for a separate state in Thailand's Muslim-majority south.
Security has been tightened across the three southernmost provinces this week after the army warned of possible militant strikes on the anniversary of the April 28, 2004 Krue Sae Mosque massacre, according to AFP.
Thirty-two people, some suspected rebels, were killed by Thai security forces four years ago when they raided the mosque in Pattani province.
More than 3,000 people have been killed since the latest unrest broke out in January 2004.
