Other members of the gang managed to flee with around Tk 4 lakh worth of loot.

The dead robbers were identified as Hanif Howladar alias Dulal, 30, and Abdul Kader Khan, 45, from the same upazila.

Among the injured villagers, Sekandar Ali Khan, 60, and his wife Saleha Begum, 50, were admitted to Nalchhity Upazila Health Complex while their daughter Pakhi Begum, 20, Yakub Ali Khan, 53, his daughter Laizu Begum, 18, and Abdul Kader, 44, were sent to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in a critical condition.

Witnesses, the injured and police sources said a gang of armed robbers busted open main gates of Sekandar Ali Khan and Delwar Hossain Khan' houses located in the same village at around 2:00am early Tuesday morning and attacked the family members.

Hearing the commotion, a police patrol team led by Abdur Razzak, officer in charge of Nalchhity Police Station, and villagers came forward to resist the criminals.

The robbers started to flee the scene with their loot blasting bombs and opening fire on the police and the crowd. Police also returned fire and chased the robbers with the villagers on their side.

Police and the villagers later found one of the robbers -- Hanif alias Dulal -- with critical bullet injuries. A pipe gun and three bullets were found from the spot. Dulal died on way to hospital.

Another robber Abdul Kader's body was recovered along with a few looted items.

Bodies of the robbers were sent to Jhalokathi morgue for autopsies.