Two separate bombings occurred in the province of Narathiwat

Two separate bombings occurred in the province of Narathiwat in southern Thailand on 4 November 2008. Reports indicate that the first explosion occurred when a car bomb blew up outside a fruit market near a meeting of tribal chiefs in the region. Approximately two minutes later, a second bomb hidden in a parked motorcycle exploded outside a teashop less than one block away. At least one person was killed and 73 others were injured in the explosions. Police officials stated that an investigation into the bombings is under way, and no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks. Narathiwat is one of the provinces most heavily affected by an ongoing Islamic insurgency in southern Thailand; however, this attack was one of the largest since the insurgency began nearly five years ago. Most attacks, which occur on a weekly basis, involve small bombs that typically target police and military officers. The last major bomb attack occurred in February 2007 in the southern province of Yala, killing four people and injuring 49 others.