Gunfight between army and armed group in Ruma, 4 including 2 army killed

Hill Voice, 3 February 2022, Bandarban: It has been reported that a shootout has taken place between the army and alleged armed group in a remote area of Ruma upazila of Bandarban.

The incident took place at 10:30 pm on Wednesday (February 2) in Bathi Tripura Para area of Ruma upazila.

According to local sources, a group of army led by Senior Warrant Officer Habib from Rainkhyong Lake Army Camp under the control of Ruma Zone carried out raids after receiving information from the army-backed Mog Party that an armed group was stationed at Bathi Tripura Para in Sadar Union of Ruma Upazila.

The army surrounded the alleged armed group stationed in a vacant house in Bathi Tripura Para and opened fire on them. Local sources said that members of the armed group fired back too.

According to the press release of ISPR issued on February 3, Habibur Rahman, a senior warrant officer and commander of the Rainkhyong Lake Camp, was shot in the head and died on the spot, while an army soldier named Firoz was wounded due to bullet injury in the right leg.

The army later recovered 1 SMG, 249 rounds of fresh ammunition, 3 ammunition magazines, 3 country-made guns, 5 rounds of ammunition, 4 pairs of uniforms and Tk. 52,900 in cash from the spot, the RSPR said in its press release.

According to local sources, three members of the alleged armed group were killed on the spot. However, their identities are not yet known.

On the other hand, local sources confirmed that the recovered SMG and 249 rounds of ammunition were weapons and ammunition used by the alleged armed group. However, local sources said that the recovered 3 country-made guns, 5 rounds of ammunition and 4 pairs of uniforms could be supplied by the Mog Party.

The names of the three members of the armed group killed are not yet known. The three deceased persons were described in the ISPR press release as “armed terrorists of the JSS main party supported by Santu Larma”. However, the deceased were not members of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti, said a source close to the PCJSS.