Gunman shot at soldier, wife at a Yala market

Police, quoting eye witnesses, said the gunman blended into the crowd of merchants at the crack of dawn and walked up to Sgt. Chaiyos Komonthree, 54, who was helping his wife at their vegetable stand at the time of the attack.

Police said Chaiyos' wife, Jinada, 45, charged at the gunman who attacked her husband but was shot before she could reach him. The two were rushed to nearby hospital.

The gunman, believed to be about 16-17 years old, also made off with Chaiyos's .38 handgun, police said. Chaiyos was attached to Sirindhorn army camp in Yala.

Separately, in Yala's Krong Pinang district, administrators decided to shut down Ban Santhiwithya School for two days after security details escorting a group of teachers came under attack the day before.

Unspecified number of gunmen ambushed the security details Monday afternoon as they were leaving the school area. No injuries were reported but police said a stray bullet hit the tire of the vehicle carrying the teachers, said Aphisit Rathanakoew, director of Yala's Education District 1.

Meanwhile, at the Tuesday meeting of teachers and educators in Yala, Aphisit awarded a sum of money to former teacher Jinthana Thongpan, who has paralised from waist down from a gunshot wound in February 2007 attack.

Also, the wife of Asanee Kudeng, the janitor of a Krong Pinang school who was shot and killed November 5, 2008, was also awarded a sum of money pooled together by local teachers and other sources.