Hospital vehicle used in 'double tap' Pattani bombing, 1 dead, 29 injured (Updated)

A pair of bombs set off near each other killed a woman and wounded 29 people late Tuesday in the main town of Pattani province in the deep South. The main bomb was hidden in a stolen hospital vehicle.

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Update: Reports are coming in that the vehicle carrying the main bomb was a local hospital vehicle stolen from an employee there. Post Today reports General Pramote Promintr, spokesman for the Region Four Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) strongly condemned the use of a such a vehicle which is intended to save lives, not take them.

Here is the latest on the story from our online reporters

Police chief to investigate Pattani bombings

Police chief Chakthip Chaijinda and military officers have been ordered to leave for the South Wednesday morning to investigate last night's bombings in Pattani province, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said on Wednesday.

Gen Prawit, who is in charge of national security, said Pol Gen Chakthip and other officers were to be in Pattani this morning to investigate the bomb explosions that killed one and wounded 29 people at Southen View Hotel in Muang district.

He declined to comment when asked if the latest violence was meant to pile pressure on the Thai peace talks team, saying that he had not discussed the matter with Gen Aksara Kerdpol, chief of the Thai peace negotiators.

It was earlier reported that the government might send its official team to resume the peace talks with representatives of the Muslim insurgent groups on Sept 2.

Gen Prawit said he personally thought the peace talks should resume only after ongoing violence had eased, adding that he had told this to the 4th Army commander.

The defence minister also said last night's bombings in Pattani were not linked to the arson and bomb attacks on Aug 11-12 in Hua Hin of Prachuap Khiri Khan in the Central region and six southern provinces of Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phangnga, Phuket, Surat Thani and Trang.

Morning story

'Double tap' Pattani bombs kill one, wound 29

Online reporters

A pair of bombs set off near each other killed a woman and wounded 29 people late Tuesday in the main town of Pattani province in the deep South.

Thai-language media reports from Pattani said the bombs were detonated 20 minutes apart.

This so-called double tap is an increasingly common tactic by southern insurgents, with the aim of causing maximum casualties with the second bomb set off among those who respond to the first.

The bloody tactic worked on Tuesday.

Thai media reported that the first blast at 10.40pm near a pub and karaoke caused no casualties. Then, a second blast caused by a huge bomb in a parked pickup truck exploded at 11pm, and wounded 29 security officers and bystanders, of whom 17 were rushed to hospital.

Damaged shophouses near the blast site.

One of the victims died of her wounds overnight. Authorities identified her as Oraphan Sriuenhat, 35, caught in the second blast from the vehicle bomb. She was working at a food shop in front of the targeted hotel when the second bomb went off.

Both bombs went off and burst into flames in a parking lot behind the pub.

The car bomb shattered windows in a wide circle in the heavily populated area. Shops, homes and the 100-room, eight-story Southern View Hotel all suffered damage.

"More than 10" cars and motorcycles parked in the area were also damaged by the blast, authorities told Thai reporters on the scene.

It was unclear whether the bombs were set off by timers or electrical signals.

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