In another attack linked to the ongoing violence in the deep South, a Laotian couple was beheaded on Saturday night in Pattani’s Yaring district - the second such killing in less than a week.

Police believe the same group of assailants is responsible for all three murders.
Last Tuesday, the body of retired teacher Kamol Chunetr, 65, was discovered in Yaring district while his head was found in a bag two kilometres from his home.
A note was left with the victim’s body, saying: “You arrest one innocent person, I will take two lives”.

On Saturday, the two Laotian victims were beheaded inside their rented house. Police identified them as Amkha Douangmala, 26, and his wife Kongmany, 25. They had arrived in the district just two months ago and worked at a chicken farm.

Police believe at least three assailants attacked the couple while they were resting in their house. There were traces of a fight at the scene, and it was probable that the victims were killed before their heads were cut off.
Sniffer dogs were deployed in a bid to track down the murderers.

At 7am yesterday, the heads of Amkha and Kongmany were found in two plastic bags near Tanyong-Kasoh road, about 10 km from their house.

Investigators later disclosed that the violence in Yaring district appeared to have increased following the search of a dormitory at a pondok, or Islamic school.

“We have received clues about the attackers and are closing in on them,” they said. “They are trying to step up their operations.”

In a related development, the superintendent of Muang Pattani Police Station, Colonel Somjit Nasomyont, led more than 100 police, military officers and volunteers yesterday in a search of four houses following reports that suspects behind the ongoing unrest in the deep South were hiding there.

The searches did not uncover any suspects. However, three motorcycles were found with licence plate numbers that did not match their registration booklets.
Police confiscated the motorcycles for further investigation.