Thirty-one injured and one dead is the tally of the double bomb explosions in Yala, one of the three predominately Muslim provinces of Thailand, where bloody and secretive insurgent groups have killed over 2,400 people since January 2004. Reports say that the second blast was triggered to inflict maximum damage against those who had converged on the scene of the first explosion.
The double bomb attacks follow 40 coordinated violence-related incidents in Narathiwat on Monday, including the burning of schools, nails thrown onto roads and trees being cut to block the police. The pace of the attacks is not unusual. Data for the first week of July alone shows that 32 people and three militants were killed, and 94 were wounded. In the same seven day period, 23 bombs detonated and three were defused. The attacks come as the authorities are still in the dark as to who exactly is behind the insurgency. To date, there has not been a single credible claim of responsibility, nor have the insurgents publicly stated their goals or political platform. It is widely believed that their aim is to make the region ungovernable.