Bangladesh Army officer among 4 dead in Bandarban gunfight

CHT - The deceased Bangladesh Army's senior warrant officer and the recovered arms and ammnition. Feb 03 2022

Four people, including an army officer, have been killed in a shootout between the army and ‘criminals’ in Bandarban’s Ruma, BBC Bangla reported.

Army officials said that a patrol was involved in a shootout with members of a faction of the Parbatya Jana Sanghati Samiti led by Shantu Larma in the Bathipara area of Ruma Upazila around 10:30 pm, according to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The dead army man was identified as Senior Warrant Officer Habibur Rahman, the leader of the patrol team. Another soldier named Firoz was shot in the leg and admitted to the Chattogram Combined Military Hospital.

An SMG, 275 rounds of ammunition, three magazines, three muskets, five musket shells, four pairs of uniforms and Tk 52,900 ‘collected through extortion’ were seized, the army said, the report said.

UNB adds: All the three deceased “terrorists” were said to be members of the Jana Sanghati Samiti (JSS-Shantu Larma) but their identities could not be known yet.

Acting on a tip off that a group of JSS terrorists were out there to extort money at Bathi Para in Ruma, a patrol team, led by senior warrant officer Habib, conducted a drive there around 10:30pm, said a local intelligence official, requesting anonymity.

But, he said, the terrorists opened fire indiscriminately on them upon their arrival, forcing the army officers to fire back.

Warrant officer Habibur Rahman, he said, died on the spot as he sustained bullets, fired by the terrorists, in his head. Soldier Firoz received a bullet in his right leg and was taken to Chattogram Combined Military Hospital in the morning, said the official.

At the same time, the intelligence officer said, three terrorists died on the spot as they were caught in the line of fire.

During the drive, the army patrol team seized one SMG, 275 ammunition, three ammunition magazines, three guns, five bullets, four pairs of uniforms and Tk 5,29,000 from the spot.

The army patrol team is now on high alert to ensure the security of local people, the official added.