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Small bombs explode on popular beach in southern Thailand, targeting iconic local statues
- One damaged a Golden Mermaid statue, an unofficial symbol of Songkhla province, the other happened near the beach’s Cat and Mouse sculpture
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Two small bombs exploded at a popular beach in southern Thailand, one of them damaging an iconic statue beloved by tourists, police said.
Police in Songkhla province said they are looking into whether the bombs late Wednesday were related to a Muslim separatist insurgency that has wracked nearby provinces since 2004, taking almost 7,000 lives.
One of the explosions damaged the Golden Mermaid statue, which is an unofficial symbol of the province, said police Lieutenant General Ronnasilp Phusara. The other took place about 300 metres away, near the beach’s Cat and Mouse sculpture.
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Police said a bomb disposal squad discovered and destroyed three other explosive devices found near a rubbish dump and under rocks near the Golden Mermaid statue.
The insurgency has mostly affected the three southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat, which have Muslim majorities in predominantly Buddhist Thailand. Songkhla, with a substantial Muslim population, has generally been spared the violence, though its biggest city, Hat Yai, has suffered several bombings.
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