20:52, 09 мая 2016

5 killed in Thai store shooting

A further three people were wounded in the shooting spree.

Police, who had previously said the Buddhist villagers had gathered for early morning exercises, said they were in fact buying food to give to monks as part of a religious ceremony.

"The attack is believed to be the work of militants," local police commander Colonel Wallop Chamnong arsa said.

In a separate attack, a 49 year old Muslim rubber tapper was found dead with his throat cut in Pattani on Thursday morning. Police said he had also been hit over the head with a blunt object.

Shadowy Islamic insurgents have waged a violent campaign in Thailand's southernmost region bordering Malaysia since early 2004, leaving more than 4400 people dead, including both Muslims and Buddhists.

Fighting appears to have intensified recently: a bomb attack in Yala province killed nine villagers last week and an unusually brazen attack by armed rebels a week earlier on a military base killed at least four soldiers.

Thailand extended emergency rule on January 18 in most of the Muslim majority region for another three months, despite rights groups' concerns about the powers given to the military.

The elderly man, two women aged 60 and 44, and two men aged 62 and 53 were shot when up to six unknown assailants with assault riffles sprayed bullets into a crowd in front of the shop in insurgency plagued Pattani province.
A further three people were wounded in the shooting spree.
Police, who had previously said the Buddhist villagers had gathered for early morning exercises, said they were in fact buying food to give to monks as part of a religious ceremony.
"The attack is believed to be the work of militants," local police commander Colonel Wallop Chamnong arsa said.
In a separate attack, a 49 year old Muslim rubber tapper was found dead with his throat cut in Pattani on Thursday morning.virtual reality glasses Police said he had also been hit over the head with a blunt object.
Shadowy Islamic insurgents have waged a violent campaign in Thailand's southernmost region bordering Malaysia since early 2004, leaving more than 4400 people dead, including both Muslims and Buddhists.
Fighting appears to have intensified recently: a bomb attack in Yala province killed nine villagers last week and an unusually brazen attack by armed rebels a week earlier on a military base killed at least four soldiers.
Thailand extended emergency rule on January 18 in most of the Muslim majority region for another three months, despite rights groups' concerns about the powers given to the military.

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