YALA: Two customers were killed and one seriously wounded in a shooting attack at a tea shop in Yala's Raman district late on Friday night.
AFTERMATH: Members of the bomb squad cordon off the scene of the shooting where two people were killed in Yala late on Friday night.
Police, soldiers and bomb squad officers, led by Yala deputy police chief Piyawat Chalermsri, inspected the roadside shop in tambon Buemeng yesterday morning.
The attack occurred about 10pm on Friday when at least three heavily armed men on board a blue pickup truck stopped in front of the shop. One of the gunmen fired an M79 grenade at the shop, which was occupied by about 10 customers.
When the grenade did not explode, gunmen opened fire on the shop before fleeing, police said after interviewing witnesses and shop owner Asae Umasalae, 46.
Three Yala residents were shot during the attack. Abdulkaling Hanirae, 48, and Bueraheng Kareng, 52, died shortly after being sent to Raman Hospital. Arbah Torluemaehawor, 48, suffered serious gunshot wounds to his left leg and was yesterday being treated at the hospital.
Bomb squad officers examining the scene found the grenade in the shop and destroyed it.
Police believe the attack might be the work of an insurgent group which is an ally of group Runda Kumpulan Kecil, which was thought to be active in the area.
The attack showed the insurgents "wanted to make their presence felt", the officers said.
Meanwhile, authorities led by Narathiwat police chief Pattanawut Angkanawin held a press conference on Friday to give an update on the progress of the investigation into the Cho Airong hospital attack last month.
He said two arrest warrants have been issued for Abdulkaree Hawae from Narathiwat's Rueso district and another unknown man. Both were spotted on CCTV and are still on the run.