Staff Reporter :
The elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested two suspected members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) in an anti-terrorism drive in Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya Rohingya camp.
RAB conducted the raid at Ukhiya’s Lal Pahar area on early Wednesday (May 15).
The arrestees have been identified as ARSA’s chief coordinator and commander, Md Shahnur Prokash Master Salim, 38, and his associate, Md Riaz, 27. Both of them are Rohingyas.
Commander Arafat Islam, the newly hired director of RAB’s law and media wing, gave this information in a press briefing at Lal Pahar in Ukhiya, the site of the incident.
Arafat Islam said that a team of RAB raided ARSA’s hideout in the hills of Ukhiya based on secret information at Lal Pahar, next to Ukhiya Rohingya Camp-20 Extension, on Wednesday morning.
ARSA commander Master Salim and his associate, Md. Riaz, were arrested while escaping during the raid. Three rifles, five grenades, ten locally made hand grenades, one foreign-made revolver (9 mm), one LG, three cartridges, and 13 cocktails were also recovered from their possession, RAB officials said.
The RAB commander said that for several days, some Rohingyas have been shot and killed in the Rohingya camp. Because of this, RAB increased intelligence activities in the camp. Following this, based on specific information, the hideout of Myanmar’s terrorist organisation, ARSA, was identified.