A firefighter was shot dead and a worker was wounded in separate shootings in Thailand's Muslim- dominated deep South, local police said Thursday.

Waeyusaree Yuso, a 38-year-old firefighter, was shot dead in the southern Narathiwat province while driving a motorcycle with his 2-year-old daughter on his lap.

He was chased and shot five times by two unidentified motorcyclists. The toddler was safe, though slightly injured when the motorcycle fell, Lt. Krittinat Muanglai, a police officer who inspected the crime scene was quoted by Thai News Agency as saying.

In the neighboring Pattani province, hospital worker Pornsak na Songkram was seriously injured in an insurgent-related motorcycle shooting.

Police linked both attacks to the ongoing regional violence that has claimed more than 1,200 lives since early 2004.

After Wednesday's bomb attack which left three people dead, an uneasy atmosphere has prevailed the province. Shops and restaurants near the bombing site remained shut and fears for new attacks are spreading among local businesses.

Source: Xinhua