A soldier and a Buddhist monk were killed in a bomb blast in Southern Thailand on Saturday. The bomb was planted in a garbage can and detonated by remote control while the monk was collecting donations nearby. The soldier was accompanying the monk for protection.
Also injured in the blast were two soldiers, a monk, and three villagers who were making donations. Police colonel Panya Karanan said the attack bore resemblance to bomb attacks by Malay Muslim separatists. The Bangkok Post reports the Thai military called it an act of religiously-motivated extremism.
Update: “Thailand’s military has officially asked local administrations in the insurgency-plagued Muslim south to implement a series of special safety measures for Buddhist monks, a day after a fatal attack during an alms gathering round,” reports Anadolu Agency.
