Bomb, shooting in southern Thailand kills 7 soldiers

Suspected separatists friday killed 7 soldiers in an ambush in Yala province, part of Thailand's violence-wracked majority Muslim south, where about 2,200 people have died since the beginning of 2004, police officer declared.
The roadside bomb killed seven Thai soldiers Friday in one of the deadliest attacks on security forces this year in Thailand's restive south amid tightened security on the anniversary of the establishment of an Islamic sultanate 550 years ago.
The soldiers were rushing to the site of a gunbattle between soldiers and suspected Muslim insurgents in Yala province's Bannang Sata district when a bomb exploded near their vehicle. The blast killed some soldiers instantly, and an unknown number of assailants then opened fire on them, leaving the total number of soldiers dead at seven with one severely wounded.
In a separate incident today, a gunman killed three Muslim leaders and seriously injured a fourth when he sprayed their vehicle with assault rifle fire in Pattani's Mai Kaen district, police Maj. Hantee Koraharee said, adding that police were investigating the shooting.
Other victims this week included : two women teachers who were shot dead in their school library in front of 100 students. A 60-year-old Islamic school teacher and a 13 year old boy also killed.