Buddhist monk, policeman killed in bomb attack by suspected rebels in southern Thailand

HAT YAI, Thailand – A Buddhist monk and a Thai policeman have been killed and six other people wounded in a bomb attack by suspected Muslim insurgents in southern Thailand.

Police say the bomb was remotely detonated early Saturday in Pattani province, targeting monks who were receiving alms and police officers guarding them.

Police Col. Paiya Karawanan, chief of Saiburi police station, says a monk and an officer were killed. The wounded included another monk, two police and three civilians.

Pattani is one of three Muslim-majority provinces in predominantly Buddhist Thailand. More than 5,000 people have been killed since an Islamic insurgency began in the region in 2004.

The insurgents have not issued specific demands but are generally believed to be fighting for an independent Muslim state.