Schools close after teachers murdered

Narathiwat (TNA, Agencies)
Gunmen armed with handguns walked unchallenged into a school library in Narathiwat province on Monday, and emptied 11 rounds into two female Buddhist teachers, killing them on the spot - and then walked back out and escaped.
Not far away, two assailants shot dead male teacher Somai Raocharoensuk as he bought cigarettes at a store, 100 metres from his school in Rangae town.

The gunmen killed the two women at Bansako School at noon on Monday.

Yupa Sengwat, 27, a specially recruited temporary teacher employed by the government and Tippaporn Tatsanopat, 42, a permanent teacher, both died at scene.

"They got off a motorcycle, walked into the school and killed the teachers in the library while others went out for lunch," a police investigator told the Reuters news agency.

Police found 11 bullet casings from two pistols near the victims, who were in their 20 and 40s. They had multiple gunshot wounds to the head and torso, he said.

Education officials immediately ordered 50 schools in the troubled Ruesoh and Sri Sakhon districts of Narathiwat to close.

"We are afraid of more attacks on teachers," education ministry official Pairach Saengthong said. "How could there be more classes after such an audacious attack?"

According to a news report, police detained one suspect for questioning but his name has not been disclosed.

Violence in the three southern border provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat has claimed more than 2,300 since erupting in 2004.