At least eight people were killed in a gunfight between two local armed groups in Rowangchhari upazila of Bandarban on Thursday night, police said.
Confirming the number of casualties, Rowangchhari police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abdul Mannan said the skirmish took place between the members of Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) and United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) in the Khamtangpara area.
On information, police recovered the bodies on Friday morning and sent those to Bandarban General Hospital for autopsies, he added.
Meanwhile, the KNF in a Facebook post claimed that seven of its members were killed in the shootout.
Bandarban Police Chief Tariqul Islam said around 60 people fled their homes in Khamtangpara where the gunfight took place.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, another police official said the victims were Bom, a small ethnic community.
They were suspected members of the KNF that had been shot dead by a splinter faction of the UPDF, he added.
Four of the deceased were identified as Lal Lian Ngak Bom, Lal Tha Jar Bom, Van Lal Duh Bom and San Phither Thang Bom.
In March, the Bangladesh Army accused the KNF of killing one of its personnel and injuring two others.
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) also accuses the KNF of harbouring and training Islamist extremists.
