Soldiers escort students and teachers across the road in front of Ban Panare school in Muang district, Pattani province. Security was again stepped up at schools following the shooting of a school deputy director in Nong Chik district yesterday. - Jetjaras na Ranong

The military is revamping its operational plans from Oct 1 to improve its performance in the troubled border provinces, Defence Minister Chettha Thanajaro said.

''With more troops, we will be able to deploy units on offensive patrol. Soldiers on patrol will clash with dissidents and in every engagement we must take the offensive and minimise casualties.

''Armoured or Humvee vehicles will be used for night patrol instead of motorcycles,'' he said.

Gen Chettha said it had proved too dangerous for soldiers to patrol on motorcycles, citing an ambush on Monday night when four soldiers of Company 6011 of the Ubon Ratchathani-based 6th Infantry Regiment were wounded in an ambush near Ban Sia in tambon Dato of Pattani's Nong Chik district.

Soldiers on patrol, he said, must be fully equipped with protective gear including bullet-proof vests and helmets.

Whenever a clash occurs, a team would be sent immediately to hunt for the attackers because government forces would have many rapid deployment units, he said.

After redeployments and reinforcements are put in place, more than 12,000 army soldiers would be operating in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, and three marine battalions of the navy in Narathiwat.

Gen Chettha said banning people from riding pillion on motorcycles in the three provinces cannot be put in practice yet, as it would affect too many people. Soldiers would instead concentrate on body searches.

''But I have already signed an order that the ban may be imposed if the situation proves it is necessary. With martial law in effect, Fourth Army commander Lt-Gen Pisarn Wattanawongkeeree is empowered to sign an order to impose the ban,'' he said.

He was confident the situation would improve once the new plans were in place, now the National Intelligence Agency has been asked to compile reports from all intelligencence units and report to the prime minister.

Sawasdi Sukumalayasak, the Chularatchamontri, backed the prime minister's order giving Gen Chettha overall command of the military and other operations in the South. The Chularatchamontri said Gen Chettha was the most suitable person for the job.

Meanwhile, Ahamad Somboon Bualuang, an academic in the region, suggested the government withdraw the soldiers and police sent from outside the region, and leave law and order to local police. State-run media should stop making insulting comments on religious teachers, ponoh schools and Islam. He urged the government to set up a working group comprising the public, academics, stategists, police and the military to come up with a policy for solving the problems.