The dead were identified as Azad, 27, Absar, 27, Khokan Barua, 26, Afsar, 24, Salahuddin, 27, and Alamgir, 25. All the six hailed from kadalpur in Raozan.

Police recovered two light guns, two pipe guns, seven cartridges, one camera, two mobile phone sets and three torchlights from the spot.

Sources said a contingent of 40 cops, led by the officer-in-charge (OC) of Raozan Police Station, took position in Bibirchhara area near Shamshernagar at midnight Tuesday on information that a gang of 35 robbers was fleeing to the hilly region of Raozan after committing a robbery at Pomra village under Rangunia Police Station.

The robbers reached the area at around 5:00am. Sensing presence of the policemen, they opened fire on the law enforcers, prompting them to retaliate.

Both sides traded around 45 bullets during the gunfight that left four robbers--Azad, Absar, Khokan and Afsar--dead on the spot, while others managed to flee.

Later, locals found two bullet-injured robbers, Salahuddin and Alamgir, in a hilly area and beat them to death.

Two cases were filed with Raozan and Rangunia police stations.