A massive roadside bomb killed three policemen in Thailand's restive south on Friday, an army spokesman said, a fortnight ahead of peace talks between Thai authorities and a rebel group. The 90 kilogram (200 lbs) bomb, hidden at a footbridge in Ruso district of Narathiwat province, detonated as a local police patrol passed on a pick-up truck, killing the officers and destroying the vehicle.
Confirming the deaths, southern regional army spokesman Colonel Pramote Promin said the attack may have been carried out by rebels opposed to the opening of talks, which are set to be held in Malaysia on March 28. "There are insurgents who do not agree with their leaders on joining the peace process and (therefore) try to incite more unrest," he said. The Thai government has agreed to hold talks with Barisan Revolusi Nasional, which is part of a web of shadowy insurgent groups in the south.