China
15:05, 11-Jul-2017
Gunmen kill eight in Thailand over 'personal conflict'
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Eight people, including three children, were killed by gunmen posing as government officials in Thailand's Krabi Province, police said Tuesday.
Investigators believe this mass slaying was sparked by a personal conflict.
Police say a gang of six or seven men, dressed in camouflage outfits, stormed a house in the southern province around 4:00 p.m. (0:900 GMT) on Monday.
They took ten people hostage and waited for the owner of the property to return.
"Around 8 p.m. the owner arrived, all of them (the victims) were handcuffed and blindfolded until midnight when gunmen opened fire," said Chaiwut Buathong, chief of Ao Luek district.
Six died at the scene, two others died in hospital, Chaiwut said, adding three of the victims were girls aged under 15.
Deputy national police spokesman Krissana Pattanacharoen told reporters that the victims came from a local Muslim family and that the gunmen "claimed to be officials who wanted to check on illegal activity".
"It is under investigation, but police are initially suspecting this to be a personal conflict," said Major General Worawit Panprung, from Krabi provincial police.
(Source: AFP, photo via Internet)
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