The shooting also injured two other female villagers, Aesoh Arwae, 60, and Yaena Chapakeeya, 38. The two gunmen, who entered the market with their bare feet, also snatched the soldiers' M16 assault rifles with them before fleeing the scene.

Early Sunday morning in Narathiwat's Rusoh district, Adinan Mueyaebasor, 24, was shot dead while riding his motorbike to do errands when two gunmen opened fire five rounds at him with a longrange shotgun. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Later in Muang district of the same province, a 47yearold government employee Udom Kulwichit was shot dead by two gunmen while riding his motorbike with his wife to go grocery shopping. His wife Chamreang Kulwichit was also injured.

On Saturday evening, three Buddhist Thais were killed in Yaha district of Yala while they were hunting for boar, said police. Residents of Kabang district, police said the three men's bodies were riddled with bullets and had their throats cut.

Separately, two gunmen pretending to be customers walked into a roadside grocery store in Muang district of the same province and opened fire at two villagers, Thanakorn Khandam, 17, and Chaikorn Udnoon, 17. The two were sent to a local hospital.

Also in the same area, four gunmen attacked a group of villagers who were hanging out in front of their house and injured Pongsri Charoensap, 78.

More than 1,700 people have been killed since the violence reemerged in the three southernmost provinces in January 2004. Since being appointed as Prime Minister last October, Gen Surayud Chulanont has placed the violence in the south as one of his top priorities. He has been promoting reconciliation and apologised for the previous government's mistreatment to the people in the South.

The Nation