Five killed in bloody weekend of violence

PATTANI : A husband and wife, a 2-year-old boy, a village defence volunteer and a university student have been killed in a bloody weekend of insurgent violence in the lower South.
Khum Saman, 50, and his wife Lim, 50, were shot dead yesterday while travelling in a pickup truck in Panare district of Pattani, said Pol Col Wallop Chamnongarsa, chief of the district police station.
It was the third attack on a married couple in less than a week in the province.
Police do not yet know if couples are being targeted.
The Samans were on their way home from a shopping trip in nearby Sai Buri district when they were shot by suspected insurgents following on a motorcycle, the officer said.
On Friday, a farmer and his wife were killed in a similar attack in Khok Pho district and, last Monday, another man and his wife were seriously injured in a gun attack in the same district.
Khum and Lim were among five people killed in separate attacks at the weekend.
A 2-year-old boy, Mahama-afizi Sama-ae, died of head wounds yesterday after suspected insurgents fired on a vehicle carrying the boy and his parents in Rangae district of Narathiwat.
The boy died after being transferred from Chanae Hospital in Chanae district to Naradhiwasrajanagarindra Hospital in Muang district for treatment of a severe gun wound to the head, Hareman Chedee of the Chanae police station said.
The boy's father, Mahadee Sama-ae, 30, is a ranger at Budo-Sungai Padi Range National Park.
He was travelling with the boy and his wife, Ms Zaina, in Rangae district when attackers riding in a pickup truck sprayed bullets at them, Pol Lt Col Hareman said.
Mr Mahadee sustained severe injuries but Ms Zaina, 25, survived unscathed.
Mr Mahadee was shot four times in the chest and once to the shoulder.
Ms Zaina said she sought help from friends when the gunmen fled.
The incident was reported about 12.20am yesterday.
Police believe the motive was to stir unrest.
Rommuelee Abu, 41, a village defence volunteer, was killed yesterday in a sniper attack in Rueso district, said Pol Lt Col Chantee Chamchan, chief of the police forensic unit in Narathiwat.
He was shot by gunmen while taking a motorcycle home from work about 8am.
His daughter and son-in-law were attacked on June 16 on the same road. His son-in-law was killed and his daughter left disabled by the attack.
Rueso police said they believe the attacks were carried out by insurgent groups.
In Yala, Abdulloh Salae, 26, a student at Islamic University in Yala's Muang district was found dead on a road in Muang district.
Police said he was shot while travelling home from school on his motorcycle.