One student, 3 soldiers injured in bomb attack

School officials ordered the Bango Buloh Elementary School in Narathiwat's Rusoh district to close indefinitely on advice from the authorities.

Separately, in Narathiwat's Rangae district, Paoli Sermae, 27, survived an attempt on his life when a gunman fired three shots at him but failed to kill him.

Paoli was heading to the rubber plantation where he is employed as a day labourer.

In Pattani, Anupong told reporters that the overall situation was improving and added that the incoming Fourth Army Area commander, LtGeneral Pichet Pisaichorn, would focus more on a development policy for the restive region.

Pichet's last posting was the Second Area command where he served as the deputy commander.

Contrary to Anupong's claim, critics and observers said in that spite of the drop in the overall number of violent incidents, insurgents' capability had not diminished and that the root cause of the conflict had little to do with a lack of development in the area.