Christians Under Attack

At least 1,730 people have been killed since violence flared in January 2004, and 2,510 injured, said Srisomphop Chitpiromsri, a political science professor at Prince of Songkhla University in the southern province of Pattani, who heads a research team that tallies the attacks. Until now, the death toll had been cited at more than 1,500, with most of the fatalities in Thailand's three Muslim-dominated provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani. "The number of bomb attacks are increasing significantly, with at least 166 attacks in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat since June," Srisomphop said. Attacks have also increased in neighboring Songkhla province, which was largely spared violence in 2004. Twenty-two people have been killed in Songkhla this year, and there have been 111 bombings in three districts of Songkhla — Jana, Sabayoi and Na Thawi — that are adjacent Pattani province, he said. Late week, suspected militants bombed 22 banks with homemade bombs that were triggered by mobile phone signals. The attacks left one person dead. All but one of the banks reopened Monday after closing for several days to make repairs, said Boonyasith Suwanarat the provincial governor of Yala province where the attacks occurred.