Militants shot a teacher couple and their daughter and set four schools on fire in Thailand's rebellious Muslim south yesterday despite the post-coup government beginning a concerted effort for peace.

The attacks, which left the teachers and their daughter in critical condition and undergoing emergency surgery, followed an apology for past hardline government policies from Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, who went to the region to deliver it.

They also came a day after prosecutors dropped charges against 92 Muslims involved in a 2004 protest in the region which led to 78 Muslims dying in army custody and fanned the flames of antagonism when the government refused to apologise. All yesterday's attacks were in the same district of Yala, one of three provinces near the Malaysian border where more than 1,700 people have been killed since a renewed insurgency erupted in January 2004.

Schools and teachers have been a frequent target as symbols of the government of the overwhelmingly Buddhist country in far away Bangkok and many teachers have been issued guns. Police said the four schools in four villages were set ablaze during the night.

At least one was destroyed completely.