3 hurt in attack by stick-wielding men

At least three people, including two women, were injured when around 100 men armed with sticks and iron rods attacked a neighbourhood in Maizpara area of Chittagong early yesterday.
Locals alleged members of air force stationed at Zahurul Haque base in the port city were behind the attack, as they had a dispute over the ownership of a key road in the area with the villagers.
The attackers, some in plainclothes and some in air force uniforms, swooped on the locality around 12:30am, they said.
At least 14 shops were vandalised and looted and several houses were damaged in the attack, said Zahidul Islam Durlobh, a local youth.
The attackers beat up anyone who came out of their houses.
Ruhul Amin, sub-inspector of Patenga Police Station, said he went to the area after air force officials informed him that locals were occupying a piece of government land. “But when I reached the spot, I found that air force men rampaged through the area."
The injured are Arju Begum, 65, Amena Begum, 34, and Sujan, 14, police said.
Initially, locals tried to flee but later they organised themselves and chased the attackers into the barrack, said the SI.
Later, police and Rab-7 members brought the situation under control.
The air force and the locals have been fighting a legal battle over the ownership of a road in Maizpara area of Patenga since 2007.
Contacted, Group Captain Badrul Amin, also in-charge (administration) of the base, denied they were behind the attack.
But he claimed the area and the road belonged to them.
Badrul, however, would not comment if there was any case over the ownership of the road.