Cox's Bazar, Nov 06 (V7N)- An army soldier was killed after being shot during a gunfight between joint forces and an armed human trafficking gang in Teknaf, Cox's Bazar. Five suspected members of the gang were arrested, while 57 hostages were rescued during the operation.
The incident occurred at around 5pm on Thursday in the Gohin Pahar area of Rangikhali in Teknaf upazila.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), intelligence sources reported that an armed trafficking gang comprising 15 to 16 members had taken around 120 Rohingya and Bangladeshi citizens hostage in the area.
Acting on the information, a joint operation team comprising members of the Army's 10th Infantry Division, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and local police moved to the location.
Sensing the presence of the security forces, the traffickers allegedly opened indiscriminate fire, triggering an exchange of gunfire between the two sides.
During the confrontation, army soldier Md Titas Sheikh, 27, sustained a serious gunshot wound to his left shoulder and suffered heavy bleeding.
He was initially rescued and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. As his condition deteriorated, he was transferred to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Ramu, where the attending doctor declared him dead.
Five suspected traffickers were arrested during the operation. Security forces also recovered a pistol, a locally made firearm and four rounds of ammunition from the scene.
The joint forces rescued 57 hostages during the operation. The circumstances surrounding the remaining reported hostages were not immediately known.
END/SMA/AJ
