Two defence volunteers were fatally shot at a market place in Kapor district of Pattani province Saturday allegedly by southern militants.

The two victims, identified as Supote Phonpala and Asri Julae, were volunteers attached to Tambon Talordue Raman protection unit in Kapor district.

Kapor district police said that two assailants, believed to be militants, were mingling with the other shoppers and when they got close to the two victims, they took out their 9mm handguns and fired at point-blank range at the heads of the two victims.

The two volunteers collapsed on the ground floor of the market place and the two assailants grabbed their service pistols and spend away.

Other shoppers rushed the two victims to the district hospital where they were pronounced dead upon arrival.