11 Killed In Southern Thailand In Last Three Days

NARATHIWAT (Thailand), April 14 (Bernama) -- Eleven people have been killed in shooting and bombing incidents in southern Thailand in the last three days. This include seven people who were killed and three others who were injured in four shooting incidents Sunday night and on Monday, the first day of the new year (Songkran). In Narathiwat Region alone, five people were killed in two separate incidents. The first incident took place at 9am in Kampung Nada, Rusak district and the victim was identified as Anurat Saleh, 52 years, a district doctor. Police Capt. Uthai Panthong, said the victim was heading to a school when two suspects on a motorcycle shot him eight times from behind with a .9mm pistol. In the second incident, which took place at 7pm Sunday night, four Buddhists in two neighbouring houses were killed in Sukhirin district bordering Jeli of east Malaysian state, Kelantan. Narathiwat police chief Police Maj. Gen. Pattanawut Angkanawin, said the victims were resting in their homes when five to six people shot them at close range with M16 rifles. The victims were a mother and her son and a husband and wife. The bodies were set on fire but neighbours managed to put out the fire and forensic police found 20 bullet casings at the scene, he said. Also in Narathiwat, a ranger and two civilians were hurt in a shootout. The victims were returning home when the incident took place at 4.50pm this evening in Kampung Air Balo, Sisakorn district, Narathiwat, he said. In Yala region, a husband and wife were killed while travelling to a rubber smallholding According to Police Capt. Prachaya Hedhat, the incident took place at 7am Monday morning and the victims were shot in the head at close range. --BERNAMA