‘Commander of ARSA’ killed in ‘gunfight’ with APBn

A suspected commander of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) was killed during a "gunfight" between police and armed criminals at Camp 17 of Ukhiya upazila, Cox's Bazar yesterday.

The deceased identified as Noor Hossain Majhi, 40, was one of the top leaders of the armed militant outfit ARSA, said Syed Harun Or Rashid, additional deputy inspector general of Armed Police Battalion-14.

Criminal activities were carried out under his leadership at seven to eight Rohingya refugee camps, the official claimed.

"Police conducted a special drive at Camp 8 early today [Monday], where six Rohingyas were killed on Friday. At that time, law enforcers received a tip-off that 20-30 armed criminals were approaching them from Camp 17. After getting the tip-off, APBn men started heading towards Camp 17," the Addl DIG said.

Around 5:00am, the police team came face to face with the criminals, who opened fire at them at Camp 17, he added.

Police also returned fire in retaliation, and the gunfight continued for two hours, the police official said.

The criminals fled the area after 7:00am and later the body of Hossain Majhi was recovered from the spot, he added.

He also added that legal steps were being taken in connection with this incident.

On Friday morning, five Rohingya men were shot dead in what police said was a gunfight between two armed gangs at a refugee camp in Ukhiya.

Later in the evening of the same day, the body of another ARSA member was found near the camp.

The day prior to the incident, a Rohingya community leader was stabbed to death in a nearby camp.

So far, at least 58 Rohingya refugees have been killed in clashes and gun violence in the camps in the last six months, police said.

Around 1.2 million Rohingyas are living in 33 refugee camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf upazilas of Cox's Bazar. Most of them came here fleeing a military crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine State in 2017.