Soldier killed in Thailand bomb

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A bomb blast in southern Thailand has killed a soldier and injured several other people.

Police said the explosive device, which had been hidden in a rubbish bin in the town of Narathiwat, was detonated via a mobile phone.

The bomb attack is the latest violent incident in a long-running separatist insurgency by the Muslim majority in the south of Thailand.

More than 1,700 people, most of them Buddhist, have been killed since 2004.

Teashop bomb

The bomb blast happened when soldiers were escorting Buddhist monks on their way to alms.

Monks have been among targets of the Islamic insurgents in Thailand. Many have received military protection since several monks were beheaded.

Another bomb was set off in a teashop on Friday, killing at least three people.

Members of Thailand's Muslim community - based almost exclusively in the country's southern provinces - have been at loggerheads with Bangkok for decades.

Thailand's Muslims often complain of discrimination and a lack of opportunities, a resentment has led to the current wave of violence and clashes with authorities.