Two alleged drug peddlers have been killed in Cox’s Bazar in what the police described as a shootout.

The incident was reported early on Saturday (Dec 14) from Gazi Para area of Hnila Union in the district’s Teknaf Upazila, said police.

The deceased have been identified as 32-year-old Mohammad Amin alias Nur Hafez and 26-year-old Mohammad Shohel, said Teknaf police OC Predeep Kumar Das in a sms.

Police said that Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested the deceased along with two others with 810,000 yaba tablets and 6 firearms on Friday (Dec 13).

During the interrogation, they confessed to the police that they have a huge stock of yaba tablets and firearms kept at the western hilly area near to Gazi Para in Rongikhali.

Police said they conducted a raid in the area early on Saturday to seize the yaba tablets and firearms.

When police reached the area, a group of drug peddlers opened fire on police to snatch Nur Hafez and Shohel from their possession. In self defence, police had to fire back which triggered a shootout.

Nur Hafez and Shohel were caught in line of cross firing while the other drug peddlers managed to flee the scene. Police rushed them to Teknaf Health Complex and later to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital where the doctor declared them dead.

Police said they have seized 95,000 yaba tablets, 6 fireamrs, 18 rounds of ammunition and 18 empty bullet shells from the scene.

Teknaf Upazila Health Complex Dr Titu Chandra Shil said, police brought two bullet injured persons to him. They were referred to Cox’s Bazar for better treatment.

Five police members were also injured in the shootout.