Christians Under Attack

Just after sunrise, attackers entered a rubber plantation in Yala province's Muang district and shot a Buddhist worker before severing off his head and dropping it about 200 meters (600 feet) from the body, said police Maj. Sucharit Wongsaket.

When police arrived at the site, a homemade bomb triggered by a mobile phone exploded and caused minor injuries to two officers.

"We believe that Muslim insurgents beheaded the victim and planted the bombs to target police, because they knew police would come to inspect," Sucharit said.

Also in Yala province, a 25-year-old Buddhist man driving his motorcycle to work was shot and killed by a gunman riding on the back of another motorbike. The man's wife, who was driving with him, was seriously injured, police said.

Drive-by shootings and bombings occur almost daily in Thailand's only three Muslim-majority provinces _ Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani _ where an Islamic insurgency that flared in January 2004 has killed more than 2,000 people.

Police, soldiers and others viewed as collaborators with the government are targeted, along with Buddhists.

Buddhist monks have been beheaded, Buddhist teachers slain, and leaflets have been distributed around Buddhist villages warning that raising dogs and drinking alcohol are offensive to Muslims.

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