A sub-district chief and his three deputies were killed in a drive-by shooting in Thailand's southern Pattani province Thursday afternoon, Thai media reported.

The officials were traveling on a sedan back from a meeting when gunmen on a pickup truck opened fire on them with AK47 and M16 rifles. Each of them took several bullets and died inside the car, the Bangkok Post newspaper reported.

The victims were identified as Sangworn Suwanratch, 56, chief of Thung Kla subdistrict of Pattani's Saiburi district, and three assistant subdistrict chiefs -- Preecha Thong-iad, Supaporn Charoensuk and Pornthip Pho-ngern, it reported.

Attackers also took away a pistol, a shotgun and salaries of the subdistrict's defense volunteers from the car.

Insurgency in restive south Thailand has killed more than 5,000 people in Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala provinces and parts of Songkhla province since 2004.