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Published on September 11, 2007

Three gunmen escaped from a brief firefight with a group of soldiers as they fled a murder scene in which they shot dead a defence volunteer on a public bus.

Police said three men pretending to be passengers got on the Pattani-Yala bus at a stop in Tambon Mahmawi in Pattani's Yarang district. About 10 kilometres later, one of the suspects shot dead Awae Muru, 55, the defence volunteer in the district and wounded five others, some of whom were hit by stray bullets.

The three men encountered a unit of patrolling soldiers as they got off the bus and exchanged fire before fleeing on foot.

Police believe the three men were members of insurgent groups that normally carried out drive-by shootings on motorbikes when targeting civilians. Other methods include roadside bombings that usually followed brief gunfights.

Earlier in the day also in Yarang district, unidentified gunman shot dead Isama-ae Hassa, 43, a defence volunteer, while he was riding his motorbike around 8am in the morning.

Separately, Abdulroheng Unu, 55, of Narathiwat's Rangae district, was shot dead as he was tapping rubber yesterday morning. These incidents occurred just two days before the Army plans to lift a curfew imposed for the past six months in some especially violent areas of Yala province.

"In order to allow Muslims to carry out their religious duties during the month of Ramadan, the curfew imposed in the area shall be temporarily lifted from September 12 to October 21," said southern military commander Lt Gen Wirote Buacharun in an official announcement.

Meanwhile, in Narathiwat, a combined force of about 250 police and soldiers detained 29 villagers for further questioning in relation to the ongoing violence in the restive region. The authorities have taken in more than 250 people since the weekend.

Many are expected to be sent to a military training camp where they are put through a month-long "re-education programme" aimed at strengthening their sense of nationalism.

The Nation

Pattani