More violence after marine killings in southmost Thailand

Violence continued in Thai southern province of Narathiwat on Thursday when a villager and his wife were shot hours after the governor announced that authorities have identified a group of men suspected of killing two marine hostages a day before.

Pracha Therat, the governor of Narathiwat said on Thursday that more than 10 persons suspected of participating in the killing of the two marines have been identified, the official Thai News Agency reported.

However, the officials need time for a thorough investigation before arresting the perpetrators. The governor was quoted as saying that he believed the villagers themselves were not involved in the killing.

Meanwhile, local police reported that a villager was ambushed and killed by unknown gunmen and his wife was wounded Thursday as they rode a motorcycle in Narathiwat's Sungai Padi district.

Hundreds of villagers held the two Marines hostage earlier Wednesday after a group of unidentified gunmen opened fire at a tea shop Tuesday night in Tanyong Limo Village of Rangae District, killing two local villagers.

The families of the marines collected their bodies from hospital Thursday morning and took them to a temple for bathing rite.

Source: Xinhua