The prime accused in the murder of a local journalist was killed in a reported gunfight with members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in Adarsha Sadar upazila of Cumilla early Sunday.

The deceased were identified as Md Raju, son of Sadek Mia of Bishnupur village in Cumilla Adarsha Sadar upazila.

Tipped off, a team of Rab-11 conducted a drive in the area to arrest Raju at Golabari around 2 am, said Major Mohammad Sakib Hossain, company commander of Rab-11.

Sensing the presence of the elite force members, he opened fire on Rab, forcing them to fire back, he said.

At one stage, Raju was caught in the line of fire and sustained injuries.

Later, he was taken to Cumilla Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Mohiuddin Sarker Naim, a staff reporter of local newspaper 'Cumillar Dak', was shot dead by suspected drug peddlers along Hayderabadnagar border in the upazila on Wednesday night.

On Thursday, a murder case was filed at the Burichang police station on a complaint from the deceased journalist's mother Najma Akter.

Md Raju, 24, wanted in several narcotics cases, was named as the main accused in the case filed against nine people including three unnamed ones.

On April 15, police arrested four accused.