World
October 30, 2005
Buddhist temple in southern Thailand torched in suspected militant attack
Suspected insurgents last night attacked a Buddhist monastery in predominately-Muslim southern province of Pattani, firing shots and setting fire to a monk's living quarters.
A number of cars were also set alight at the Takienthong temple, according to the Thai News Agency Sunday.
It was the second such arson attack against a monastery in Pattani in less than a month and comes amid continuing violence in the trouble-plagued region.
Security personnel and forensic experts are now investigating the incident, which police believe was staged to intimidate the monks.
More than 20 spent bullet cases were found at the scene.
Three teenagers were detained shortly after the attack, but have denied any involvement, the report said.
On Oct. 16, a Buddhist monk and two teenage temple assistants were killed in an attack on Promprasith temple in Pattani's Panare district.
The incident sent shock waves through Muslim and Buddhist communities throughout the troubled region.
More than 1,000 people have been killed since January 2004 in increasingly deadly unrest in Thailand's insurgency-plagued southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.
Source: Xinhua
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