1\vo top operatives of outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (ML) were killed in 'crossfire' between Rapid Action Battalion and their associates in Puthia upazila carlyyesterday.

Earlier onThursday night a Rab-5 team arrested the two, Abdul Aziz, 45, the regional founder president of PBCP-ML and Asgor Ali, 38, from their houses at Konabaria and Dhukhalpara villages of Baghmara upazila, aRab press release said.

Following information extracted during interrogation, a Rab team at around 4:30am took the two to Borobaria village under Puthia

upazila to retrieve firearms and ammunition.

As the Rab team reached near Borobaria, accomplices of the captured opened fire on them. Rab men returned fire that resulted in a 12-minute shootout.

The two got caught in crossfire while they tried to flee the scene. They were rushed to Puthia Health Complex but doctors there declared them dead on arrival.

Rab recovered a shutter gun, a foreign-made double barrel rifieand a bullet from the scene.

Aziz was accused in two murder cases and Asgor in three Besides, there were several criminal charges

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against the two, said Rab sources.

Family members of the two, meanwhile, alleged that Rah killed them cold-bloodedly for their (Aziz and Asgor) rivalry with Khamaru family that shelters Bangla Bhai and his men.

Rab members tortured Aziz and his wife Shefali while making the arrest. Aziz's family claimed last evening.

Aziz, a primary school teacher by profession, was the son of Hamirkutsa union BNP leader Ahad Ali. He was accused in two murder cases resulted from his enmity with Khamaru family and was on bail, saida family source.

He had no connection with the outlaws, hut had animosity towards some of the outlawed operatives who joined Bangla Bhai's group, the source added. Bangla Bhai's men kidnapped him in last April and beat him hanging upside down from a tree at Hamirkutsa camp for two days.

Asgor's family too claimed that he was killed because he had enmity with the Khamaru family.

Police said Golam Mustafa Khamaru and MamtazAli Khamaru, two sons of Mohammad Ali Khamaru. were killed in 1998 and 2001 following feuds with the outlaws over establishing supremacy in the area.The Khamaru brothers also were accused in several cases.