Two southern militants were shot dead while one paramilitary ranger and an 8-year-old girl were injured in a fierce gun battle in Yaring district of the southernmost province of Pattani this morning.

The clash today was a follow-up operation mounted by security forces to pursue suspected militants believed to be hiding in areas behind the ancient Krue Se mosque in Muang district following a deadly attack on a defence volunteer unit at a school in Yarang district, killing four volunteers.

Acting on a tip-off that some of the escaping militants were hiding at a house in Ban Dan of Yaring district to nurse their wounds sustained from the previous gun battle, a combined force of police, troops and paramilitary rangers was dispatched to the village to cordone off the area.

A Muslim religious leader and village chief were asked to talk the two suspected militants to surrender, but both refused to budge and opened fire at the approaching officials.

The two suspects barricaded themselves in the house using the house family members, including an eight-year old girl, as a shield, prompting the security forces to exercise caution as they slowly moved in on for fear of harming the hostages.

The stand-off lasted about 5 hours before gunshots coming from the house stoped.  The officials then broke into the house where they found the two suspected militants lying dead.

The dead were identified as Abdulloh Samae, 30, and Abdulloh Jeh Long, 38 – both of whom had several arrest warrants against them.

The injured girl who was grazed by a bullet on her back was later sent to the district hospital for treatment.  She was pronounced to be safe.