A group of local residents allegedly thrashed a posse of policemen and forcibly freed a wanted criminal from the latter's custody in Habirpara village of Teknaf upazila on Wednesday. Acting officer-in-charge of Teknaf Model Police Station, Mohammad Hafizur Rahman said that the policemen had managed to nab Habibur Rahman Habib alias Magu, wanted in six criminal cases, in the village around 2 pm. Read:Flood-affected people in Cox’s Bazar cry for food and drinking water But as the police team was about to leave the village with the accused, his family and a local UP member Moulvi Syedul Islam surrounded the vehicle of the cops, attacked them with iron rods and hurled brick chips, and took Habib away.  Three policemen were injured in the attack. On information, another police team rushed to the spot and took the injured cops to Teknaf Upazila Health Complex. Read:‘Top terrorist’ killed in Cox’s Bazar ‘gunfight’ "We are trying to arrest Habib. However, the UP member has already been arrested in this connection. We are going to book him under stringent sections," the OC said.