The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Sylhet

At least 10 members of the elite-force Rapid Action Battalion, including an Assistant Superintendent of Police, were injured in an attack by villagers at Pashchim Noagaon in Bishwanath upazila on Tuesday night.

On information, a team of RAB-9 conducted a drive at Pashchim Noagaon village to arrest drug peddlers at about 8 pm Tuesday, official sources said.

According to their operation plan, ASP Sarwar entered the village by an auto-rickshaw in the guise of drug buyer. As suspected drug-dealer Abbas supplied him 72 bottles of Indian liquor, the cop handcuffed him.

The ASP went to Kalamdar Ali Market along with Abbas to make a seizure list. But Abbas' relatives started shouting "dacoit", "dacoit" when they reached the market.

"Hearing shouts, some 50 villagers swooped on the ASP and other RAB members mistaking them for 'robbers'. The attackers took them inside a restaurant and beat them, leaving the ASP and nine others injured," says a report from the area quoting local sources.

The villagers snatched away Abbas from the RAB men along with the handcuffs.

After receiving the information, a special team of police and RAB launched a joint raid on the village and rescued the injured RAB members. They were admitted to Osmani Medical College Hospital.

The team also arrested 13 people for interrogation during their six-hour drive through the area till 2 am Wednesday.

A pistol, which was dropped on the ground from the possession of the ASP during scuffles with the drug peddlers, was recovered after a few hours of the incident.

A RAB source in Dhaka said three of the law-enforcers were injured in the incident, including the ASP.