The decision followed that of their colleagues in Pattani which decided to close their schools on Saturday.

This meant the closure will affect altogether 994 schools in those three provinces, ranging from elementary to high schools.

"We have made a decision because we are worried about our own safety and our lives," said Boonsom Thongsriplai, the chairman of the Teachers Federation of Pattani. He is also president of teachers federations of the three provinces.

Pattani schools have already been closed starting Monday while those in Narathiwat and Yala will be closed on Tuesday.

The school closure was due to a wave of arson attacks against school buildings, as well as shootings that killed two Buddhist school teachers last week.

In Pattani, suspected Islamic militants gunned down a 48-year-old school director inside his parked car then set fire to the bullet-riddled vehicle, the federation said.

The Nation