Militants Kill Three In Thai South: Police

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Militants kill three in Thai south: police

NARATHIWAT, March 23, 2011 (AFP) - Unknown gunmen stormed a house and shot dead three civilians, including a couple who volunteered for the authorities, in Thailand's troubled deep south, police said Wednesday.

Up to 15 men, dressed in black and wearing balaclavas, stormed the house in Narathiwat province late on Tuesday before opening fire on the three Muslims, who were watching television.

The victims were a 53-year-old woman, a 34-year-old security defence volunteer and his wife, aged 30, who volunteered with Thai health officials.

Shadowy insurgents have waged an uprising in Thailand's southernmost region bordering Malaysia since early 2004, leaving more than 4,500 people dead -- both Buddhists and Muslims -- according to police figures released this month.

Many Muslims who are considered "traitors" to Islam for cooperating with Thai authorities have been killed.

Violence appears to have recently intensified in the region, where critics accuse the government of failing to address the grievances of the Malay Muslim minority, including alleged abuses by the army.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-03-23