The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) detained two commanders of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and seized local and foreign arms, including grenades and rocket cells, from the Ukhiya Hills, Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday.
The detainees are — ARSA commander Master Salimullah, 38, and his associate Md Riaz, 27.
Commander Arafat Islam, Director of RAB’s law and media wing, told this at a press briefing at Lal Pahar in Ukhiya.
He said acting on a tip-off, a team of RAB raided ARSA’S hideout in the hills of Ukhiya at Lal Pahar, next to Ukhiya Rohingya Camp-20 Extension, on Wednesday morning.
During the raid, the team recovered three rifles, five grenades, ten locally made hand grenades, one foreign-made revolver- Nine mm, one LG, three cartridges and 13 cocktails and detained ARSA commander Salimullah and his associate Riaz while they were trying to escape, he added.
A special team of bomb disposal of Bangladesh Army went to the spot and destroyed the recovered explosives, grenades, IEDs and rocket cells due to public safety reasons.
RAB increased intelligence activities in the camp as some Rohingyas had been shot and killed in the Rohingya camp for recently. Later, based on specific information, RAB conducted a raid at the hideout of Myanmar’s terrorist organization ARSA, said the RAB director.
Sensing the presence of the elite force, the terrorists started firing in retaliation RAB forced to fire back. Later, they detained the ARSA men and recovered the arms and ammunition, he added.