YALA, Thailand (Reuters) - A powerful roadside bomb killed nine civilians and wounded two others in Thailand's restive deep south on Tuesday, an attack blamed on separatist insurgents, police said.
The victims were all Buddhists and were travelling in a pickup truck to hunt wild pigs when the bomb exploded in Yala, one of three predominantly Muslim provinces plagued by violence since a separatist rebellion resurfaced seven years ago.
The incident was the second major attack in six days and will be a blow to the government and security forces, which say violence has reduced significantly in recent months, citing tighter security and successful public relation campaigns.
Four soldiers were killed and at least five others wounded on Wednesday when rebels armed with grenades and assault rifles stormed an army outpost in Narathiwat. Thai media said at least 20 rifles were stolen in the raid.
Police said Tuesday's bomb was planted in the road and detonated remotely by cellphone, destroying the truck. Roadside blasts are common in the rubber-rich region, but military and police patrols are usually the targets.
The violence, which has been limited to the border region, is believed to be the work of ethnic Malay militants and has claimed more than 4,300 lives since January 2004.
Attacks are typically drive-by shootings, ambushes and roadside blasts although car bombings and beheadings have taken place in recent years.
No one has claimed responsibility or stated any aims and the 40,000 troops based in the region are no closer towards quelling the unrest or identifying who exactly they are fighting.
(Reporting by Surapan Boonthanom; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Andrew Marshall)
