22 Bombs Explode in Thailand, Killing 1 - Forbes.com

Nearly two dozen bombs exploded almost simultaneously Thursday inside commercial banks in southern Thailand, killing one person in a region bloodied by a Muslim insurgency, police said.

The homemade bombs, which were triggered by mobile phone signals, were placed in garbage bins, at newspaper stands and near seats where customers wait for service in the banks in Yala province, said Maj. Gen. Paithoon Choochaiya who heads the provincial police.

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The Islamic Bank of Thailand was among those attacked, according to reporters at the scene. The bank, set up in five southern provinces by the government, was created according to Muslim law, which prohibits interest.

More than 1,500 people have been killed in the insurgency since early 2004, most of them in the Muslim-dominated southern provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani. The rebels are seeking to separate from Thailand, where Buddhists form the vast majority.