Staff Correspondent

Three members of Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) were killed in an exchange of fire with Bangladesh Army at Roangchhari and Ruma upazila frontiers on Sunday.

Local firearms, cartridges, military uniforms and other equipment were seized from the spot.Local sources said being tipped, members of the Bangladesh Army conducted a raid receiving information about a KNF den inside Debachhara forest in Rouninpara under Roangchhari and Paikkhongpara under Ruma on Sunday noon.

Sensing their presence, the KNF members started firing on the army personnel. In retaliation, they also fired back, leaving three KNF members dead, said the Bangladesh Army.

The KNF members were in olive colour uniforms. Then, the rest of the KNF members fled in face of the KNF raid.

After an hour-long gunfight, police recovered two bodies from the scene and one bullet-injured man. Later he also succumbed to his injuries.

Meanwhile, KNF Media Wing's head Colonel Solomon confirmed about the death of three people. In a statement, he said the deceased were Edithang Bom of Rouninpara under Ruma; Royalsangnuam Bom, 23, of Fiangpiddengpara; and Rualminlian Bom, 20, of the same para. They were the students of different educational institutions of Chattogram and Bandarban.

On the other hand, the army have been conducting searches at the frontier areas of the two upazilas following the incident. As panic has spread among the locals, the security forces have strengthened their patrol.

Confirming the authenticity of the incident, Bandarban district's additional police super Raihan Kazemi said on Sunday evening that the bodies were being brought at Bandarban Hospital after recovering in Roangchhari. The bodies would be handed over to families after postmortem.

It may be mentioned that as many as 84 persons have so far been arrested in connection with bank robbery, looting 14 firearms, abduction of a bank manager and attack on law enforcing agencies at Ruma and Thanchi upazilas of Bandarban district on April 2 and 3 last.