A roadside bomb killed seven Thai government soldiers on Friday in one of the deadliest attacks against security forces this year in Thailand's restive south.
The soldiers were on patrol duty in Yala province's Bannang Sata district when a bomb exploded near their vehicle, Police Col. Anirut Himberb said.
The explosion killed them instantly and destroyed the truck they were in, he said.
Since a Muslim rebellion flared in Thailand's three southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat in early 2004, near-daily bombings, drive-by shootings and other attacks have killed more than 2,300 people.
Soldiers are increasingly falling victim to the roadside bombings and shootings in the three provinces, which are the only Muslim-majority areas in the overwhelmingly Buddhist country.
Along with attacks on soldiers, Muslim insurgents have targeted Buddhist civilians in what is believed to be an attempt to drive them from the area, and to rouse animosity between followers of the two religions. Muslim citizens - especially those seen as collaborating with the government - have also been killed.
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