January 19, 2005

Gunmen kill food shop owner, one customer seriously injured

WAEWDAO HARAI

Narathiwat _ A food shop owner was shot dead and his customer seriously

wounded yesterday morning in Narathiwat's Sungai Padi district.

The shooting took place about 8am at a food shop on Charusathian road

in tambon Todeng.

Shopowner Mayusor Sama-ae, 42, was shot in the head and died on the

spot.

One of his customers, Muelee Hama, 24, was seriously wounded by a shot

in the neck.

Witnesses said they saw a motorcyclist stopped in front of the shop

shortly before the attack. Then two other men showed up on a motorcycle.

The pillion rider walked straight to the shopowner and fired one shot at

him at close range.

As the three assailants were about to leave, Mr Muelee rushed to help

Mayusor. One of the assailants turned and opened fire at Mr Muelee,

hitting him in the neck.

Police said Mayusor had no known enemies and his attackers were

probably militants trying to escalate the insurgency in the South.

In another gun attack yesterday, fruit vendor Bahaleng Uma, 32, was

shot and seriously wounded while eating at a food shop on Buke

Tamong-Cho Airong road in tambon Buki, Cho Airong district.

Witnesses said the shooting occurred around 2pm when one of two men on

a motorcycle fired four shots into the shop, hitting Mr Bahaleng in the

shoulder and abdomen.

In Pattani, meanwhile, two men on a motorcycle opened fire on a bus

taking a several children home from school, seriously injuring two

students, Sarat Chaiyarat, 14, and Pongsak Daengngern, 13.

The attack took place on a road in tambon Rahan, Sai Buri district.

Police were investigating yesterday if the shooting was related to

ongoing southern unrest.