Narathiwat: Two defence volunteers providing security for teachers were killed by an unidentified armed group in Tak Bai district yesterday morning.
At least six fully armed assailants on three motorcycles chased after the security escort team before opening fire at them and killing them outside Wat Simthisarnpradit School in Tambon Pron at around 8.50am yesterday.
The volunteers were identified as Santhiya Chaisit and Amorn Butthongboon. The attackers also took two assault rifles and a pistol from the dead men. Police believed the attack was the work of insurgents.
Minutes before the shooting, police in nearby Cho Airong district, also in Narathiwat, were alerted to graffiti painted -- supposedly by insurgents -- on a road for an "independent Patani".
Authorities also discovered a bomb planted nearby on the Cho Airong-Aipayeh road. Suspecting the graffiti was a ruse, security officers flew a drone over the area, which detected the bomb. The area was immediately cordoned off before the bomb exploded shortly after.
Authorities said the Tak Bai shootings and the bombing were carried out because the holy month of Ramadan is due to begin early next month.
Meanwhile, in Pattani, a man was shot dead by two men on a motorcycle at a singing bird competition in Yaring district yesterday.
Dueramae Mayo was trying to coax his bird into singing at the competition venue in tambon Takae when the two men arrived. They were met by a third man who pointed Dueramae out to them.
The two walked up to Dueramae before one pulled out a gun and tried to shoot him. The gun initially failed to fire, prompting the gunman to pistol whip Dueramae, who fell to the ground, witnesses said.
Both gunmen proceeded to shoot Dueramae in front of more than 100 spectators attending the competition.
Police believed the shooting was motivated by a personal dispute and had nothing to do with the insurgency.