Militants fire at police officers

No injuries were reported but the brief shoot-out between the two sides had the police and accompanying reporters running for cover in Tambon Chuab in Narathiwat's Joh I Rong district.

It was not clear if the militants' attack was aimed at rescuing their comrade, Ibroheng Che-ngor, 46, a former district defence volunteer at nearby Sungai Padi district arrested recently on charges of being part of the insurgency.

The fight lasted for about two minutes before the gunmen, believed to number about four or five, retreated into the woods. Police pursued them, but failed to capture them.

Nasueran, 24, a relative of Ibroheng's wife, was detained for questioning under the martial law that permits 37 days of detention with charge or legal counselling. Authorities raided their residents but did not come up with any incriminating evidence.

Separately, Privy Councillor General Surayud Chulanont visited a model pondok (Islamic boarding school ) in Yala's Tambon Taseh. He called on the local community to take pride in their school, Islamsat Darusalam, that has become a point of cooperation between the state and the local Malay-speaking community.

School principal Osman Pula said the teachers kept a close eye on the activities of the students to ensure they were not lured into the insurgency.

Constant dialogue with parents and students, as well as recruiting trusted teachers, mostly former students, was one way of building trust with the student body at the school, Osman said.