Suspected Muslim militants killed a Buddhist village chief and an icecream vendor on Wednesday in Thailand’s south, where authorities expect a major attack to mark the first anniversary of the eruption of renewed violence there.
A gunman on the back of a motorcycle pumped three bullets into the 52-year-old village headman in Narathiwat province, police said. He died instantly, the latest of nearly 500 people killed since the violence started on January 4.
The latest violence began on January 4 when gunmen raided an army camp and stole 300 M-16 assault guns while militants set fire to about two dozen schools simultaneously in the region.(reuters)