RAB nabs 2 militants from Rohingya camp

The Rapid Action Battalion on Monday arrested two suspected members of the new militant group ‘Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya’ after a gunfight at Kutupalong Rohingya camp in Ukhia of Cox's Bazar.

The arrestees were identified as Masukur Rahman alias Ronobir alias Masud, a Shura member and head of the armed wing of the militant group, and his associate Abul Bashar Mridha alias Alam alias Koy, a bomb-making expert.

A team of RAB-15 conducted a drive in Kutupalong Rohingya camp in the morning, RAB legal and media wing director Commander Khandaker Al Moin said in a press briefing on Monday.

Moin said that they got clues of militants staying at Rohingya camps after arresting Syed Maruf Ahmed alias Manik, the deputy head of the military wing of the new outfit. He revealed important information about various activities and the possible location of military wing top leader Ronobir. Finally, RAB came to know that some militants were staying in Camp-7 at Balukhali in Ukhia.

When the RAB launched an operation there early in the morning, the members of the militant group tried to escape from the camp through Ukhia TV Tower inside of Yahya Garden towards the hill of Naikhyangchari, he said.

Moin said that sensing the presence of law enforcers, the militants opened fire on them, forcing the RAB personnel to retaliate.

After the trade of gunshots, RAB members arrested Ranbir and his associate bomb expert Bashar along with two locally-made guns and a foreign pistol. They also seized three magazines, 133 rounds of bullets, one mobile phone and around Tk 2.5 lakh in cash from them, said Moin.

Moin said that Abul Bashar's name is included in the list of 55 people who got training in the hills.

In preliminary interrogation Abul Bashar informed them that after the joint operation of RAB and other law enforcement forces started on October 3, he got separated from the group of 55, Moin said adding that Bashar fled the hills and went to Sylhet and took shelter with military wing head Ronobir. Both of them took shelter in the Rohingya camp a few days ago.