Six Thai soldiers were injured in a bomb attack by suspected militants on Friday morning in Thailand's southernmost province of Yala.

The bomb, which was hidden under a road at Laair village in Yaha district of Yala province, exploded at around 07.40 a.m. local time, while the six patrolling soldiers in a mall truck were passing by, a police official told Xinhua.

After the bomb explosion, the suspected militants, who were hiding nearby, opened fire on the soldiers and the soldiers immediately fired back.

After the suspected militants escaped, the six injured soldiers were later rushed to a hospital for medical treatment in Yaha district.

The country's deep South comprises mainly the three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, and some parts of Songkla province. Over 3,500 people have been killed in insurgent violence in the deep South since January 2004.

Source:Xinhua