Two killed by separatists in restive southern Thailand

Yala, Thailand: Two rubber trappers were killed by suspected Muslim separatists shot in south Thailand, and a bomb wounded one officer investigating the killings on Sunday, police said.

The couple were killed on their motorcycle as they were on their way to tap rubber in Yala.

"The husband was then beheaded and his head was left about 50 metres away," a police officer said.

As police were investigating the scene, a bomb exploded, wounding one officer seriously, he said.

The rebels have never revealed themselves publicly or claimed responsibility for the violence, which has remained limited to the rubber-producing region abutting the Malaysian border.