Khulna, June 26 -- Members of the Bangladesh Coast Guard exchanged gunfire with the notorious pirate group known as the "Dulabhai Bahini" during a special operation deep inside the Sundarbans, with the drive still ongoing, a Coast Guard official said on Friday.

Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Suzan, Media Officer of the Bangladesh Coast Guard, said the operation was conducted on June 25 in a remote forest area near Bonpara under Koyra upazila of Khulna district.

According to the Coast Guard, the pirates, who were positioned on a boat, opened fire after detecting the presence of law enforcers. Coast Guard personnel returned fire in self-defence, targeting the pirates' vessel.

During the operation, three suspected members of the pirate ...