At least 20 persons, including three women, were injured and hundreds of house vandalised as two groups of Awami League clashed yesterday at Pirijkandi village in Raipura upazila over establishing supremacy in  the area. Police said there has been a long-standing dispute between Mirzapur Union Awami League Secretary Mosharraf Hossain and  Raipura upazila Awami League executive member Asad Mia  in the village. As a sequel to the dispute Mosharraf Hossain and his companions  attacked the houses of Asad Mia and his supporters yesterday morning. Asad Mia and his men also swooped on their rivals. Chase and counter chase left at least 20 persons of both the groups injured. About 100 houses of both groups were torched and destroyed. Cash, gold, cows and other valuable goods worth about 30 lakh have been looted. Riot police and Raipura police rushed to spot and brought the situation under control after about one hour.
Local people with the help of police rescued the injured persons and sent them to Raipura upazila hospital.  Officer in-charge Azharul Islam said two separate cases have been  recorded with Raipura police station. A team of police has been  deployed in the area for maintaining peace, the OC said.