Car bomb kills 5 in southern Thailand

PATTANI, Thailand, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- A car bomb exploded at a crowded market in the southern Thailand city of Pattani Friday, killing least five people and injuring dozens, police said.

Witnesses said the bomb apparently exploded when police arrived to investigate a reported shooting outside of a jewelry shop, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.

Investigators told ABC they believed the attack was in response to claims of discrimination against ethnic Malay Muslims by various levels of government in Thailand.

Officials said no one had claimed responsibility for the blast.