Army dismantles ‘training camp’ of Kuki-Chin insurgents in Bandarban
NN ONLINE:
The Bangladesh Army announced that it has dismantled a training camp operated by the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), also known locally as the “Bawm Party,” in Bandarban’s remote hill district. Authorities recovered weapons, training gear, and other equipment. The announcement notes that the operation was carried out by the Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) after a month-long special operation conducted from July 25 to August 26 in the rugged Reng Tlang area of Ruma Upazila, near the Myanmar border.
According to ISPR, soldiers identified a training camp linked to the KNF’s armed wing, the Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA), located in an uninhabited border zone. They reported seizure of training rifles made from wood, sniper weapon casings, military and cartridge belts, uniforms, boots, blankets, walkie-talkie chargers, solar panels, rations, and other supplies. The Army also gained control over a training ground, firing range, trenches, bunkers, and other tactical installations.
The statement added that military operations against armed groups in the Chattogram Hill Tracts would continue to ensure the safety of all communities in the region.
WHO ARE THE KNF?
The KNF, an armed group aiming to establish an autonomous “Kuki-Chin State” in the hill tracts, prioritizes smaller Kuki-Chin communities such as the Bawm, Khiyang, Pangkhua, Lusai, Khumi, and Mro, while excluding larger groups like the Chakma, Marma, and Tripura.
The group drew national attention in April 2024 after two bank robberies in Ruma and Thanchi within 16 hours. On April 2, the Sonali Bank branch in Ruma was looted at night, followed by daytime raids on Sonali Bank and Krishi Bank branches in Thanchi on April 3. Law-enforcement agencies later attributed both incidents to the KNF, prompting a renewed crackdown by joint security forces in the hills.
Earlier on July 3, ISPR stated that two KNF members were killed in an army operation in another remote area of Ruma. The raid also recovered three submachine guns, a rifle, and ammunition.