Top commander of Rohingya insurgent group among 4 held in Cox's Bazar

The RAB recovered a pistol, ammunition and a hand bomb following a raid on an ARSA hideout in Ukhiya

The Rapid Action Battalion has arrested four people with arms and ammunition during a raid at a settlement for Myanmar's forcibly displaced Rohingya population in Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya.

The arrestees include the ‘commander-in-chief' of the Bangladesh chapter of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), an insurgent group from Myanmar, according to the RAB.

They were identified as Md Karimullah aka Master Kalimullah, 32, from Block M-33, Md Akij, 27, from Block-E-15 in Kutupalong Camp No.7, Mohammad Zobayer, 29, from Block-E-3 in Balukhali Rohingya Camp No. 13, and Saber Hossain aka Moulvi Saber, 35, from Block-B4 in Teknaf Rohingya Camp No. 22.

The arrests were made during a raid on Block-A5 of the Ghonarpara No. 20 Extension Camp around midnight on Thursday, said RAB-15 Cox’s Bazar Battalion chief Col HA Sajjad Hossain.

Master Kalimullah is the leader of the ARSA Bangladesh chapter and also serves as the insurgent group's chief cashier. Md Akij was the bodyguard of ARSA chief Ataullaj Jununi. The others are active ARSA militants.

Acting on a tip-off, the RAB raided the group's hideout in Block A5 early on Thursday with the aim of nabbing its top commander and other armed insurgents, said Lt Col Sajjad.

“When the RAB reached the scene, the militants opened fire on them, prompting a retaliation from the law enforcers. As the assailants began fleeing, the RAB managed to arrest four of them.”

The RAB also recovered a pistol, ammunition, and a hand bomb.

Details about the raid will be provided at a press briefing later on Thursday, the officer said.