YALA - Two durian vendors were shot dead by armed men in Bannang Sata district of this southern border province late Wednesday night.
The attack occurred around 10pm at a durian stall near a kubo (a Muslim cemetery) in Sai Kaew village, Moo 3, in tambon Taling Chan, said Pol Maj Pratchaya Hethak, the investigation chief at Bannang Sata station.
According to a preliminary investigation, at least 10 men approached the stall from a path leading to a waterfall and called out to the vendors. When the stall owners emerged, the armed men opened fire, killing them instantly.
The victims were identified as Muelee Mani, a native of Bannang Sata, and Prakit Klomsa-ard from the eastern province of Chanthaburi.
Before fleeing, the assailants stole a gun and a two-baht gold necklace from Prakit. One attacker also placed a suspicious item inside a nearby vehicle before escaping.
Police and a village security team cordoned off the area, awaiting the arrival of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and forensic officers to thoroughly examine the scene on Thursday. Officers refrained from inspecting the site at night due to concerns that the assailants might lure them into an ambush.
