Law enforcement agencies have arrested two individuals and recovered a cache of illegal firearms and ammunition during a joint operation in Maheshkhali upazila of Cox’s Bazar, following an armed attack on a police patrol team.
The arrestees have been identified as Md Ansar and Gaffar. They were apprehended during a coordinated drive by members of the police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and the Bangladesh Navy.
According to sources at the Police Headquarters, the joint forces recovered five locally made single-barrel guns, five country-made LG firearms, 24 rounds of live bullets, and six cartridges during the ongoing crackdown.
The operation was launched after unidentified assailants opened fire on a police patrol vehicle with shotgun pellets around 12:45 AM on Wednesday night in the Afzalia Para area under Kalarmarchhara union of Maheshkhali upazila.
Three members of the Maheshkhali police patrol team sustained injuries in the attack.
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Officials stated that joint forces have intensified operations in the area to identify and apprehend other individuals involved in the assault, and to ensure the safety of law enforcement personnel and local residents.
Further details will be shared as the operation progresses, they added.