A community has been thrown into chaos after about four family members were gunned down in broad daylight.
File photo used only for illustrative purpose
A family of four was shot dead by a group of unidentified gunmen on Thursday morning as they drove to a school in Thailand’s restive south, a Rueso police officer said.
According to NAN, the police revealed that out of six people in the vehicle, two members of the family, Somchai Tongchan, 47, and Son Tongchan, 40, were killed instantly.
Their 8-year-old son Tanakrit Tongchan died later at a local hospital, and his aunt Rustika Taduang, 39, died on the way to the hospital.
Tanakrit’s two siblings survived the attack and were being treated in hospital.
“The attack was carried out by one of the region’s Muslim insurgent groups, however, further investigation was needed to identify exactly which group was responsible.
“The Muslim insurgents have always targeted Buddhists in the region,” the officer said.
Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist country, Narathiwat, 1,140 km South of Bangkok, is one of the three Muslim-majority provinces bordering Malaysia where a separatist insurgency has simmered for much of the past half-century.
More than 6,500 people have been killed in the unrest since 2004.
Thursday’s attack came two days after Thai authorities and an insurgent group reached an agreement to create safety zones in the region.