Four men on two motorcycles rode up to the house of Ding Bato, 50, in Chanae district. One of them then approached him and fired four rounds with an AK47, killing him on the spot.

Suding Hajiseng, 34, was rushed to hospital after being injured in the attack.

In nearby Si Sakhon district, gunmen on a pickup shot dead Adinan Yaykoh, 38, in Tambon Tamayoong. Adinan was heading by motorbike to his outpost where he worked as a Village Defence Volunteer.

In Narathiwat's Rusoh district, an 81-year-old Islamic teacher, Nikaji Kutuyu, was shot dead while riding his motorcycle. Two gunmen followed him by motorbike and fired a single shot at him, hitting him fatally in the head, police said.

Yesterday morning also saw a 200-strong security force sweep through Kalisa and Bangostoe tambon and detain four suspects for questioning in relation to the ongoing violence.

Meanwhile, Army spokesman Colonel Acra Thiproch told reporters the authorities had detained two male suspects believed to have taken part in Thursday's grenade attack on a teashop in Ban Banangsareng in Yala's Muang district. The incident caused injuries to six local Muslims.

Acra said traces of TNT and RDX explosive materials had been found on the suspects, identified as Amunu Burode-ar and Dahari The-tey.

The Nation

NARATHIWAT