6 wounded in bombing in restive South Thailand

One soldier and five residents were wounded in motorcycle bombing on Friday in restive southern province of Narathiwat, Thai News Agency reported. The explosion occurred at around 6 a.m. Friday at the entrance of the Narathiwat municipality fresh market. Police said the 5-kg bomb was built in a metal box and placed inside a helmet compartment of the motorcycle. A male teenager reportedly drove the motorcycle to park behind a pickup truck from Narathiwat Special Task Force 32. The vehicle was installed with a jammer to cut mobile phone and radio signals used to trigger bombing in the southernmost province. The bomb exploded five minutes after the youth left the motorcycle and walked into the market. The explosion wounded one soldier and five villagers shopping at the market. Moreover, six motorcycles and two pickup trucks, most of which belong to the government task force, were damaged. More than 5,000 people have been killed and more than 9,000 hurt in over 11,000 incidents, about 3.5 incidents a day, in Thailand's three southern border provinces -- Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and four districts of Songkhla since violence erupted in January 2004.