Forest guards in the Sundarbans rescued four kidnapped fishermen after an exchange of fire with a bandit group on Wednesday morning, officials said.

The gunfight broke out during a joint patrol at Singartek, in the Kokilmoni area of the Sundarbans East Forest Division. A patrol from the Shelarchar outpost and a specialist smart team detected the bandits, who opened fire first. The forest party returned seven rounds. The bandits then fled, abandoning a trawler and the four hostages, who were found with their hands and feet tied.

The forest guards recovered a firearm and a single round of ammunition left behind by the fleeing bandits.

“We sensed their presence during the patrol. They fired at us and we fired back, discharging seven rounds,” said Mohammed Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, divisional forest officer for Sundarbans East. “The bandits escaped, leaving the trawler and the four hostages behind. The hostages are now in the custody of the Shelarchar patrol post.”

Chowdhury said the bandits were believed to belong to the Sharif Bahini, adding that arrangements to hand the fishermen over to their families were underway.