Pabna: Five policemen sustained injuries when a group of ‘drug peddlers’ hurled crude bombs on them on Pabna-Ishwardi highway at Maddhyo Arankola in Ishwardi upazila early on Thursday.

The injured are Inspector Sheikh Matiur Rahman and four constables—Raquib Uddin, Mizanur Rahman, Mushihar Ali and Shahidul Islam.

Zahurul Haq, additional superintendent of Pabna police, said base on secret information, a police team conducted an anti-narcotics drive at an abandoned godown of one Dipu Sarker around 2:00am and arrested Dulal Hossain alias Muchi Dulal, in his twenties, an alleged drug peddler along with 200 pieces of Yaba tablets.

At one stage, the detainee’s associates hurled crude bombs targeting the law enforcers, in a bid to snatch away Dulal from their custody, leaving five policemen injured, police said.

Police fired several gunshots in self-defense, prompting the criminals to flee the scene.

Dulal had long been involved in drug trading and wanted in several cases, said Azim Uddin, officer-in-charge of Ishwardi Police Station.