Two men were abducted yesterday from remote Panchhari area under Kawkhali upazila, raising the number of abducted people in last weekfrom the districtto 13.

A group of 10 armed men raided the houses of Mongol Kumar Chakma and Subesh Chakma (age were not specified) in the early morning and took them away at gunpoint, according to police sources. The motive behind the abduction could not be ascertained immediately.

Meanwhile, on condition of paying ransom, abductors on Friday noon released seven of the 10 people abducted from hard-to-reach Dabua Bazaar, local sources said.

The seven were released Friday following a deal that local negotiators struck with the abductors, according to which they kept the remaining three as hostages until they get the agreed ransom of Tk 7 lakh. The abductors also have threatened to kill the hostages if military troops make any operation against them or if the ransom is not paid by the deadline — today.

Sources said abductors have demanded Tk 5 lakh for the seven released and Tk2 lakh for the rest.

Two of the hostages are Mong Chi Aung Choudhury, 24, and Pai Rui Karbary 55, both brothers of Fatikchhari Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Sui Mong Choudhury. His sister's husband Hula Pui Marma, 30, is the third hostage.

The seven who were freed from captivity are local UP member Aung Chi Thoai, 27, Pai Aung Marma, 40, Mong Cha Marma, Aung Ja Rui Marma, 36, U Chi Mong Marma, 36, Pai Tui Aung Marma, 30, and Hla Cha MongMarma, 22.

Meantime, Bhubonjoy Chakma, 32, abducted from Ananda Bihar area ol Rangamati last Monday, was freed after payment of Tk 50,000 in ransom from the town's Asambosti area Thursday night, sources close to his family said.

Unknown terrorists abducted him from a shop in Ananda Bihar where he work as a saleman.