Car bomb kills policeman in rebel-hit Thai south

A car bomb in Thailand's conflict-hit south killed a policeman and wounded two others Tuesday, as the kingdom's junta chief vowed to boost security in the Muslim-majority region during Ramadan. The blast, which hit a police checkpoint sending debris and a thick plume of smoke into the sky, is the latest in a spate of attacks that have killed more than 20 people during the Muslim holy fasting month. Violence in Thailand's "Deep South" - the southernmost provinces bordering Malaysia - tends to spike during Ramadan before rebels return home for the Eid festival.
The area has been battered by 12 years of violence between the Buddhist-majority state and shadowy Muslim rebels seeking greater autonomy for the culturally distinct provinces. The region was annexed by Thailand more than a century ago. Near-daily shootings and roadside bombs have left more than 6,500 dead since 2004, most of them civilians.