Posted on 04/10/2004 7:29:18 AM PDT by knighthawk
BANGKOK: Two bombs exploded in Muslim-majority southern Thailand on Friday night, hours after the United States, Britain and Australia issued warnings of possible terrorist attacks in the troubled region.
There were no casualties in the Friday night bombings, the first of which was planted in a garbage bin opposite a police station in Narathiwat province's Waeng district and exploded at 6:45 pm, damaging a nearby restaurant.
The second blast occurred nearly an hour later in Takbai district, near the Malaysian border, at the gate of an apartment complex housing police and customs officials.
The explosions were latest in a string of violent attacks that have rocked Thailand's deep south since January and killed about 60 people, mainly security personnel and government officials.
Thailand has put itself on high alert ahead of its traditional new year holiday Songkran and the volatile situation has prompted travel advisories by the United States, Britain and Australia.
These countries plus Canada, which issued a similar warning on April 1, have shared threat intelligence information since the bombings on the Indonesian resort island of Bali which killed more than 200 people in 2002.
"In response to recent incidents of indiscriminate bomb attacks and thefts of explosives, senior Thai officials have warned of the increased threat of terrorist acts, particularly during the extended Songkran holidays," the notice by the US State Department said.
It urged Americans to avoid all non-essential travel to the south including Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, Satun, and Songkhla provinces. Britain's Foreign Office updated its travel advice for Thailand on Friday.
It referred to the theft of "a large quantity of explosive material" in southern Thailand last week, and Thai concerns that they might be used during the April 10-17 holiday.
It also recalled a March 27 blast outside a bar in the Thai-Malaysian border town of Sungai Kolok, in Narathiwat, in which at least 28 people were injured. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Friday warned its citizens to "exercise extreme caution" in Thai tourist areas and resorts.
"We continue to receive reports that terrorist elements in the region are planning attacks," the department said.
Earlier this week, Thai police said security would be stepped up in the capital Bangkok ahead of Songkran, amid concerns that militants from the south could mount a major attack.
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