11 held, firearms recovered after late-night shootout in Khulna

One member of the Navy and two police personnel have been injured in the incident, police say

The joint forces have detained 11 people after a shootout in Khulna’s Sonadanga. Weapons and ammunition have been recovered as well.

The incident occurred in the Arambag area of Sonadanga Thana after midnight on Saturday, according to Azam Khan, assistant commissioner of the Sonadanga Zone of Khulna Metropolitan Police.

One member of the Navy and two police personnel have been injured in the incident, he said. The names of the injured have yet to be confirmed.

Azam said, “The joint forces conducted an operation at a home in the city’s Arambag area around 12:30am on Sunday upon receiving a tip-off that criminals were meeting there.”

“The criminals opened fire when they noticed the presence of the joint forces. The joint forces returned fire.”

He said that a "top criminal" named Sheikh Polash and 10 others were detained from the scene in the operation. Three pistols, a shotgun, a dismantled firearm, several rounds of ammunition, machetes, and axes were among the weapons recovered from the scene. Seven motorcycles have also been seized.

Azam said that, in addition to the 33-year-old Polash, law enforcers detained Kala Labhlu aka Rubel Islam, 35, Ariful, 27, Fazle Rabbi Rajon, 26, Mohammad Leon Sharif, 33, Imranuzzaman, 33, Imran, 35, Ripon, 38, Saikat Rahman, 27, Mohidul Islam, 35, and Golam Rabbani, 26.

The initial operation ended around 3am, the police official said.