12 wounded in thailand's Pattani bombing

Twelve persons, including Thai army soldiers, Buddhist novices and local residents were injured in a roadside bomb attack in the provincial seat of restive Pattani Tuesday morning, according to Thailand (MCOT) website. Among the injured are eight military personnel from the Pattani Special Task Force Unit 23, two Buddhist novices and two local residents, said Pol Col Somporn Meesuk, superintendent of the Pattani provincial police. The victims were hospitalized at Pattani Hospital. The powerful explosion also damaged a military pickup truck and two nearby houses. An initial investigation found that an explosive device was set off as the soldiers were escorting the novices and monks who were seeking alms during a morning alms round. The bomb was described as a homemade device built into a small gas cylinder placed in a roadside pushcart. Thailand''s southern border provinces, particularly Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, have been impacted by insurgency since it erupted in 2004. More than 4,300 lives have been claimed in shooting and bombing attacks so far.