2 'criminals' killed in 'shootout'

Two alleged criminals, accused in a case filed for snatching a pistol from a policeman after shooting him, were killed in a “shootout” with cops at Alekharchar in Sadar upazila yesterday.

The dead are Rabbi, 20, a resident of Daulatpur village under the same upazila and Jony, 25, of Ashoktala.

Three pistols, including the one which was snatched from Firoz Hossain, a sub-inspector of Detective Branch of Police, were recovered from their possession.

Police said being tipped off that a gang of criminals gathered in the area, a DB police team launched a drive there around 10:30am yesterday.

Sensing danger, the armed thugs, who were on motorcycles, fired gunshots targeting the law enforcers, forcing them to fire back that eventually triggered a “gunfight”. Rabbi, Jony and two policemen received bullet wounds at that time.

The injured were taken to Comilla Medical College Hospital where doctors declared Rabbi dead while Jony succumbed to his injuries at the same hospital in the afternoon, said Manirul Islam, officer-in-charge of DB.

On Thursday, a gang of criminals had shot SI Firoz while snatching a pistol from him at Jhautala in the city.

Later, SI Samsuddin Chowdhury, in-charge of city's Kandirpar police camp, filed a case against Jira Sumon, Rabbi, Jony and Sabuj with Kotwali Model Police Station in this connection.