YALA, Thailand, June 15 (Reuters) - Suspected Muslim separatist rebels killed seven soldiers on Friday in a bomb and gun attack in Thailand's rebellious Muslim south, an army spokesman said.

Another soldier was wounded as their patrol returned from guarding teachers at a school in Yala, one of three southernmost provinces where more than 2,300 people have died in a three-year-old insurgency.

A spate of arson attacks on Wednesday destroyed 13 government schools in Yala, leaving 3,000 students with no classrooms.

Three Buddhist teachers were killed on Monday, followed by the murder of a Muslim religious teacher and killing of three merchants, one of whom was beheaded on Tuesday.

Despite the presence of 30,000 troops and police, the violence shows no signs of abating.

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