Army sources said Lance Corporal Nazrul Islam, 32, died of cardiac arrest while trekking up a hill in a search operation but other sources said Nazrul was killed in a brushfire by tribal criminals on November 27 while he was on duty at the fair on the occasion of Kathin Chibordan (a religious festival) at Minjhiri Para of the upazila.

Army sources, after suppressing the news of the casualty for two days, yesterday admitted that Nazrul died but attributed the death to cardiac arrest.

The indigenous criminals killed three and injured two others in four such attacks on the security forces in last two months.