Bombs explode in department stores, hotel in southern Thailand

[maddezmom]

BANGKOK (AFP) - Bombs exploded almost simultaneously in two department stores and a hotel in southern Thailand, killing at least one person and wounding many more.

The blasts occurred at the Odean and Big C stores, as well as the Lee Garden Hotel in Songkhla province's Hat Yai city, the largest city in southern Thailand, according to officials and news reports Saturday night.

Television news reports quoted Thai army Lieutenant General Ongkorn Thongprasom as saying that at least one person was killed at the Odean, and that there were many more wounded.

Police have said two people have died so far and at least 30 are wounded, according to reports.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060916/wl_asia_afp/thailandsouthunrestblast

[xchrom]

1. so sad! n/t

[GuillermoX71]

6. Just a reaction to the Pope's

speech ;-)

[Scout1071]

2. I wonder if this is the Muslim part of Thailand.

It's 95% Buddhist, but a Muslim concentration in the South. I've been to Southern Thailand, but not that far South.

So sad. Reminds me of my friends from Hong Kong that died in the Bali blast in 2002. Lovely people, one and all, from the Hong Kong Rugby Club and were in Bali for a tournament.

I'm so saddened for Thailand. When will this ever stop?

On edit - I just finished the entire article and it does appear to the Muslim portion of Thailand.

[MADem]

3. Islamic insurgency, anyone? It's everywhere!!!! They are halfway to 911

in terms of their 'body count' already:

Mobile phones have been frequently used to detonate bombs in Thailand's south.

Parts of Songkhla province are under martial law as the government struggles to contain an Islamic insurgency that has killed more than 1,400 people since 2004, mostly in the three southern-most Muslim-majority provinces bordering Malaysia.

[bemildred]

4. Separatist movement down there, I hear. nt

[rodeodance]

5. map of the muslin world

http://btw.imb.org/news_map.asp