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 | | From: | Siegfreed | | Subject: | Two wounded as suspected Islamic militants fire on school bus | | Date: | Mon, 24 Jan 2005 15:58:13 +1100 |
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 | BANGKOK, Jan. 19 (TNA) -
Two children have been shot and seriously wounded in an attack on a school
bus in Thailand's southern town of
Pattani yesterday, causing widespread concern among the local population.
A senior education official, Areerat Wattanasin, said the indiscriminate
attack on a bus carrying more than 20 students had
frightened both teachers and students.
The two wounded boys are being treated at Somdej Pra Yuparaj Hospital in
Saiburi District.
''We need to review our safety procedures for school buses after this
incident. More security forces may be needed to guard school buses from now
on,'' said Mrs. Areerat, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Office
of the Basic Education Commission.
There were 24 children ranging from kindergarten to high school students on
the bus
when the unknown gunmen attacked.
The shooting came after the deaths of three people in separate,
insurgency-related incidents over the past few days.
Among the dead was a senior teacher who was gunned down by suspected
militants on Monday.
Thailand has battled an Islamic insurgency in country's three southern
border provinces
of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat since early last year. The violence has seen
more than 700 casualties.
Meanwhile, Wimol Chankaew, director of the Pattani Educational Office, said
schools
across the province would carry on as usual despite the attack.
''School buses have been operated by villagers who make private contracts
with parents. Yesterday, when the bus came under attack, students were told
to lie down on the bus floor. But two if them were hit. It was really
shocking as the targets were children,'' he said.
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