A group of men wearing uniform shot dead a family of eight ‘execution-style’ at their home in Krabi, south Thailand early today.

The seven assailants who arrived in two vehicles had earlier raided the house in Kampung Ban Klang, Aolud about 4pm and detained seven members of the family.

The group waited for four hours for village head Worayud Sanlang to arrive home about 8pm, and what appeared to have been an ensuing altercation, shot the family members in the head just after midnight, said Aolud police station investigations division assistant, Capt Suwit Keawpreecha.

He said the killers escaped in the darkness, taking Worayud’s car.

Suwit said the victims, including two girls, sustained gunshot wounds to the head.

Five of the victims comprising three men, woman and a girl were found dead in the house while the rest, comprising Worayud, a woman and a girl were pronounced dead at a hospital.

Suwit said the police received a report on the killings at 1.30am (local time), adding that “all were killed from ‘execution-style’ shots to the head,” he told reporters here.

He said initial investigations revealed six to seven armed attackers wearing uniform had arrived in two vehicles before raiding the house. The occupants were subsequently detained.

The attackers waited for the village head to arrive before killing them all.

Suwit said the police were in the midst of determining the motive of the attack.