Rocket believed fired by militants hit a house in Bacho district of Narathiwat

Police and members of the explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) unit were rushed to a man’s residence in Narathiwat’s Bacho district on Friday to examine an object thought to be a prototype rocket suspected to be fired by militants.

The suspected rocket has a 4 inches diameter, weighs about ten kilogrammes and is stuffed with explosives. It crashed into the house of Mr Muhamed Rusdee in Ban Yalutong, Tambon Kayomalee, Bacho district on Thursday night. It did not exdplode and no one was injured.

The security forces found what was believed to be the launch site of the rocket which is about 200 metres from Mr Rusdee’s house. At the site, they found a PVC tube about five-inch in diameter and about one metre long buried about 70 cm into the ground, an electrical wire tied to dry-cell batteries.

Traces of explosives were also detected at the site.

An informed security source said that the rocket might be in the experimental stage and the militants might have test-fired the rocket to test its effectiveness.

The source added that the militants might intend to switch from roadside bombings to rocket attacks because the old tactic put them at risk of being caught.

A similar rocket was reported in Pattani’s Nong Chik district on January 28.

Thai PBS

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