Nine more suspected drug traders were killed in reported gunfights with law enforcers in seven districts early today amid a countrywide crackdown on narcotics and its dealers.

Of them, two were killed in Dinajpur and Comilla each while one each in Joypurhat, Chandpur, Thakurgaon,  Mymensingh and Pabna districts in separate “gunfights” with police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab).

So far, 72 have been killed in “encounters” in the ongoing countrywide anti-narcotics drives that began on May 4.

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In Dinajpur, an alleged drug trader was killed in a reported “gun battle” with a team of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) at Basudebpur village in Birganj upazila around 2.00am, said Khandakar Golam Mortuza, assistant superintendent of police in Dinajpur.

Another drug dealer was killed as two rival groups of illegal drug traders exchanged gunfires at Pashim Deyal village in Dinajpur Sadar upazila around 1.00am, said Redwanur Rahim, officer-in-charge of Dinajpur Sadar Police Station.

The deceased were identified as Abdus Salam, 47, village Mohorampur in Sadar upazila, and Sabdarul Islam, 40, of Nandaigaon village under Birganj upazila of Dinajpur, our Dinajpur correspondent reports.

In Joypurhat, a suspected drug trader, Rintu, 25, son of Abdul Jalil of Uttar Gopalpur village in Panchbibi upazila, was killed in an alleged gunfight with Rab members at Bhimpur village around 12:30am.

In Chandpur, Bablu, 42,  a suspected drug trader and also an accused in several cases, was killed in a so-called gunfight with police at Taragaon in Kachua upazila around 3:00am, said Syed Mahbubur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Kachua Police Station.

Police also recovered 120 Yaba pills from the spot.

In Thakurgaon, alleged drug trader Mobarak Hossain alias Kutti, 40, suffered bullet wounds during a “gunfight” with police at Pacchim Begunbari village in Sadar upazila around 3:05am.

Police took him to Thakurgaon Sadar Hospital where a duty doctor declared him dead, our Thakurgaon correspondent reports quoting Abdul Latif Mia, officer-in-charge of the local police station.

In Comilla, two suspected drug traders -- Babul, a resident of Ashabri area, and Almas of Tetebhumi area -- were killed in a reported gunfight with police in Bagra Ramchandapur area in Brahmanpara upazila around 2:00am, reports UNB.

Babul was accused in 16 cases while Almas in eight.

In Mymensingh, Shahjahan Miah, 30, a suspected drug trader of Bongaon village in Ishwarganj upazila and also an accused in eight drug cases, was killed in a “gunfight” with detective branch of police at Athabari around 1:30am, UNB reports quoting Badrul Alam Khan, officer-in-charge of the local police station.

In Pabna, a listed drug trader, Abdur Rahman of Mahedrapur area in Sadar upazila, was killed in an alleged “gunfight with police around 2:00am, Gautam Kumar Biswas, additional superintendent of Pabna Police, told the news agency.