A hijacker and two drug traders have been killed in separate "gunfights" with police in Cox's Bazar.
The incidents occurred in the early hours of Friday.
In Teknaf upazila, two alleged yaba drug traders—Nur Mohammad, 40, from Najirpara, and Nurul Amin, 35, from Jaliapara—were killed in the Rajarchhara area, confirmed Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Teknaf police station Pradip Kumar Das.
Pradip said: "A team of police took Nur and Nurul, captured the previous night, to Rajarchhara area in an operation to find other drug traders. However, upon reaching the site, the traders ambushed the police and started firing at them, prompting police to fire back."
Police brought Nur and Nurul to a hospital, where the on-duty doctors declared them dead. Four members of the police—Sub-Inspector Sanjib, Constable Al-Amin, Saiful Islam, Arsadul, and Sabbir— were also injured during the gunfight.
Police recovered 20,000 yaba pills, 20 cartridges, and eight locally-made guns from the spot, the OC said.
"Nur Mohammad had 10 cases filed against him—including a murder case—while Nurul Amin had three cases lodged against him with different police stations," the OC added.
Meanwhile, in Cox's Bazar town, listed criminal Korban Ali, 25—hailing from Mohajerpara area in Cox's Bazar—was killed in a gunfight with police, Md Humayun Kabir, OC of the Detective Branch (DB) of Cox's Bazar police, confirmed.
Korban was accused in several cases including of hijacking, illegal arms dealing, and the murder of a tourist, he said.
The OC said: "Acting on a tip-off, a patrol team of detective police went to the Khuruschool Bridge area, on an operation. However, upon seeing the police, a group of criminals started firing at the police, upon which the police were forced to fire back in self-defense."
Korban was rescued from the spot and admitted to a hospital, when the on-duty doctors declared him dead. Police recovered an LG gun and three rounds of cartridges from the spot.
All of the bodies have been sent to the Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy.
