PATTANI, Jan 22 — A village defence volunteer was shot dead by insurgents in this southern province early today, while in a separate incident a bomb exploded outside a telephone office in the provincial seat early Saturday as insurgents continued stepped up attacks since early this week, police said.

Police said the 36-year-old village defence volunteer was killed by at least four gunmen on two motorcycles as he rode his motorcycle home.

Police said gunmen fired several shots which hit the victim in the back, and then used the victim’s handgun to shoot him in the head before fleeing the scene. Several spent shells were found at the scene.

Another incident occurred at about 7.30am when bomb experts and police from Sai Buri district dismantled an explosive which had malfunctioned at the provincial branch office of TOT, formerly the Telephone Organization of Thailand.

MCOT