Three were killed and seven injured.

Saibudin Ballathaya, 25, Aslan Tohtayong, 25, and Mahsudi Ali-mama, 12, died from gunshot wounds after a group of gunmen fired rounds at the moving school bus - a modified pickup truck.

The attack took place at 5.15pm at Tambon Kuen Banglang in Yala's Banang Sata district.

The students were from Bacho Islam Withaya, a private Islamic school in the district, and from Banang Sata Central Mosque.

The attack took the death toll in Yala yesterday to seven.

Earlier in the day four people were killed in separate bomb and gun attacks.

The first attack yesterday was at about 8.20am in Raman district when a man called Sohlaeh Kaneseng, 32, was shot while working in a rubber plantation.

Around the same time, a bomb in Than To district injured Private Ronnachai Chareonsuk while on patrol.

At about 11am, a roadside bomb in Banang Sata killed Buraheng Kuna, 55, chief of Bang Lang Tambon Administrative Organisation as he was driving and seriously injured his passenger, Maruding Abdullahman, 37.

An hour later, Singha Muandej was shot dead while driving a car in Muang district.

Part of leaflet left next his body read: "We will kill Buddhists. We have tolerated things for a long time, from now we will kill you all."

Some 10 minutes later ice-cream vendor Inkam Wongpanya died on the spot when militants shot at him with a 9mm pistol and an AK47 in Sateng sub-district in Muang district.

One man suffered minor injuries in a bomb blast at bridge in Tasap sub-district in Muang district at around 12.30pm.