Spate of small bombs in southern Thailand

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BANGKOK, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- A bomb blast that killed two supermarket security guards in southern Thailand Sunday was likely the work of insurgents, police said.

The explosion in the province of Pattani caused a fire that destroyed the store and injured a passerby.

Police told the Bangkok Post the bomb was one of a series of small bombs allegedly planted around the Muang district of Pattani by insurgents. Only two of them actually exploded.

Insurgents were also suspected in a series of arsons last week in the Yarang district of Pattani.

Investigators say the insurgents were trying to re-establish their credibility as a threat following an unsuccessful raid on a Thai marine base Wednesday in Narathiwat province that left 16 militants dead, the Post said.