Two persons were killed in a reported gunfight between Rapid Action Battalion and a drug dealer group in Cox’s Bazar early today.

One of them has been identified as Md Masum, 35, son of Md Anu Pradhan of Pashchim Baharchara in Cox’s Bazar, while the identity of the other deceased person could not be known immediately, reports our local correspondent.

Tipped off that a drug smuggling was going on in the Jhau (Tamarisk) bushes of the sea beach near the Diabetic Hospital Point around 2:00am, a RAB-15 team took position there, said Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Md Shah Alam, also assistant director of Rab-15.  

Sensing the presence of law enforcers, a group of people opened fire at them. The RAB team fired back in self-defense, triggering the gun battle which lasted for 10-15 minutes, the Rab official said.

After the firing stopped, RAB found two bullet-hit persons on the spot and took them to Cox’s Bazar Zilla Sadar Hospital where doctors declared them dead, he also said.

Police also recovered a gun, three bullets and 10,000 yaba tablets from the spot.

The bodies of the deceased have been kept at the hospital for autopsy, Farid Uddin Khandakar, officer-in-charge of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model Police Station.