2010-09-07 16:00

BANGKOK - A teacher couple were killed in a drive-by shooting in Thailand's southern border province of Narathiwat on Tuesday morning.

The husband was killed at the scene while the wife was severely injured and died later in a local hospital.

Police said two men on motorcycle had tried to catch up with them while they were riding on motorcycle to the market before the pillion rider opened fire at them with an M16 assault rifle.

During the past six years since the violence renewed in the region in 2004. Almost 8,000 insurgent attacks have taken place in the southernmost provinces - Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, which once were part of Sultanate of Pattani State. The majority of people there is Malay Muslims.

During Ramadan or Muslim month of fasting, which begins from August 11 and ends on Sept 10 this year, violence in the region always flares up.