Deepeast News
TEKNAF, Cox’s Bazar: A Bangladesh Army soldier was killed during an exchange of gunfire with armed criminals while a joint force was conducting an operation against a human trafficking gang in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, the Bangladesh Army said in a press release.
According to a statement posted on the Army’s official Facebook page, intelligence sources reported on Thursday that an armed human trafficking group comprising 15–16 members had taken approximately 120 Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals hostage in a remote hilly area of Rangikhali in Teknaf Upazila.
Acting on the information, a joint operational team comprising personnel from the Bangladesh Army’s 10th Infantry Division, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and local police reached the area at around 5:00 pm.
Upon sensing the presence of the joint forces, the armed traffickers allegedly opened indiscriminate fire, triggering an exchange of gunfire between the two sides.
During the clash, 27-year-old Bangladesh Army soldier Titas Sheikh sustained a gunshot wound to his left shoulder and was critically injured. He suffered severe blood loss.
He was immediately rescued and taken to a nearby hospital for initial treatment. He was later transferred to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Ramu for advanced medical care, where the attending physician declared him dead.
The Army said the joint operation led to the recovery of one pistol, one locally made firearm and four rounds of ammunition. Five suspected members of the human trafficking gang were also arrested, while 57 people held hostage were rescued.
