Terrorist Incidents Continue In Southern Thailand Despite Announcement Of Peace Talks

PATTANI (Thailand), Oct 1 (Bernama) -- Terrorist incidents continue to occur in several areas in southern Thailand despite the government's announcement to hold peace talks with the rebel groups. Narathiwat police chief, Maj Gen Pattanawut Angkavanich, said three shooting incidents occurred last night, claiming one live and causing injuries to two other people. The first incident occurred at 7.11 pm local time in Srisakorn district where a 40-year-old security guard, Nai Chotdee Wannaro, sustained a gunshot wound after being shot while heading home from a hunting trip, he said. He said in the second incident at 7.20 pm, a Muslim woman, Nurhayati Mukdasawat, 27, also sustained injuries after being shot at while heading home. At 7.50 pm local time, a religious school teacher on motorcycle, Waesemae Sudeng, 67, died after being shot in the head while heading home from Palas Mosque in Panarek, Pattani. A footage from a closed-circuit camera showed that two suspects had trailed behind the victim's motorcycle and shot him in the head upon reaching Palas town, 100m from the mosque. Pattani police chief Maj Gen Poth Suwaisuwang said the police would scrutinise the CCTV footage to identify and track down the suspects to ascertain whether the shooting was personal vengeance or related to the rebel groups. In another incident at 2.22 pm Tuesday, a food stall operator, known as Asisah Dahasi, 41, was shot dead in her house in Kg Tanjung in Rusak, Narathiwat. Police said she sustained two gunshots believed from an AK47 rifle. --BERNAMA