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Published : 20 Oct 2022, 10:53 PM
The Rapid Action Battalion has arrested seven alleged members of a new militant group and three suspected separatists during an operation in the Chattogram Hill Tracts.
In a message on Thursday night, the RAB also said it recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition.
The arrests have come amid security concerns over reported links between Islamist militants and tribal separatists.
The local administrations have made Ruma and Roangchhari in Bandarban out of bounds for the tourists due to security risks amid the operation launched on Oct 10.
After the recent arrests of a dozen of suspected Islamist militants, including several runaway youths, the RAB said they belong to a new group called Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, formed by former members of banned militant outfits.
Citing the arrestees, the RAB also said dozens of runaway youths were taking training in the hill tracts with the help of the separatists – a rare nexus that triggered concerns over domestic and regional security.
The law enforcers did not reveal the names of the seperatist groups sheltering Islamist militants, but some believe the Kuki-Chin National Front or KNF, also known as the Bawm Party, is involved with the Islamist militants. The new seperatist group turned heads after claiming a murder in June on their Facebook page.
