Tambon chief administrator in Pattani beheaded

Police said Athaphon Konlom, 45, a former police officer, was chased by four gunmen on two motorbike who fired at his pickup truck at close range with automatic weapons.

Athaphon's vehicle crashed into the wall of an elementary school. According to police report, the four men walked towards the victim, open the door and beheaded him at the scene of the crash.

 More than 3,300 have been killed since January 2004 when insurgency-related violence rose sharply and continue unabated until today.

Security officers claimed the overall security situation has improved, pointing to the overall number of violent incidents and attacks have dropped but critics said their conclusion was reached prematurely.

They said the insurgents' capability has not diminished and they still have the capacity to carry out violent attacks against their targets.