A homemade bomb installed by suspect Muslim insurgent exploded on Wednesday morning in Thailand's southern province of Pattani, killing one local resident and injuring at least two officials.

The roadside bomb, mined beside a main road in Yaring district, was detonated when the officials' vehicle was passing the spot on Wednesday morning. At least two officials were wounded by the blast and a local resident passing by was killed at the scene. Local reports said the officials were part of the teachers protection unit.

Three schools in the area were closed after the blast.

Pattani is among the three southern border provinces plagued with violence related to an ongoing insurgency which has claimed nearly 2,000 lives since it resumed in early 2004.

Source: Xinhua