Bomb attacks injure five soldiers in Thai restive south

BANGKOK, July 7 -- Five soldiers were injured when insurgents detonated a roadside bomb to ambush a unit in Thailand's southern province of Yala Tuesday afternoon.

Two of the soldiers were seriously injured in the explosion, which happened at 4:50 pm (0950 GMT) on the Kotabaru-Tharua Road in Raman district, the website by local newspaper The Nation reported.

The unit was deployed to check an area next to the explosion site after a government official was shot and injured by insurgents.

Thailand's deep South comprises mainly the three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, and some parts of Songkla province. Over 3,500 people have been killed in daily violent attacks by suspected separatists since January 2004.