Violence continues in deep south

Police found the body of Asmi Kudeng, 43, a janitor at an elementary school in Yala's Tambon Krong Pinang riddled with bullets lying next to his motorbike on the side of a backroad.

Asmi was on his way to work when two gunmen drove up from behind and fired six shots at close range, killing the victim instantly.

Late Tuesday evening, gunmen brandishing automatic rifles shot dead Sahadi Hamah, 16, in Yala's Yaha district as he was about to take part in a bathing ritual for an evening prayer.

In the same Tambon Pathae of Yaha district , a gunman barged into the house of Mahropee Malee, 42, a resident of Yala's Tambon Kabang, while he was having dinner with his family and  fired, killing him in front of his wife and children.

Shortly after midnight Wednesday, also in the same tambon, a pickup truck was set on fire damaging it beyond repair. A body was found on the driver's seat but it was burnt beyond recognition. Police believe the victim was shot dead inside the vehicle before it was set on fire.

In Narathiwat, about 01:30 Wednesday morning, an elementary school was reported to have been burnt down in an arson attack overnight.

Police accused Malay Muslim separatists of being behind the violent incidents but human rights organisations and local residents accused the authorities of employing death squads to carry out hits against suspected separatists and sympathisers.

Meanwhile, a Narathiwat province assistant district officer, who was wounded in Tuesday's multiple bombings in Sukhirin district, is recovering in a hospital.

 Forensic experts continue to gather evidence from the scene.

Songkhlanagarind Hospital director Dr Reungsak Leethanaporn said Sukhirin assistant district officer Vinit Thepnit, one of some 70 people wounded in the three explosions, was reported to be recovering well after surgery to remove bomb fragments from his body.

Vinit was transfered from Naratiwat to the Songkhla hospital for the operation.

Thirtythree village heads and district officers are still being treated in hospitals in the southern provinces.