Bangladesh launches raid on Myanmar separatists

[Hindustani78]

Updated: August 28, 2015 03:52 IST
Bangladesh launches raid on Myanmar separatists - The Hindu

The joint operation by the Army and border guards aims to neutralise the rebel Arakan Army

The Bangladesh Army and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have launched a joint operation in Bandarban hill district after a gun battle between the Arakan Army, a Myanmar rebel group, and the border guards.

Additional border guards and army troops have been flown into the area, where the separatists are illegally treading the remote forests on the border.

Director General of BGB Major General Aziz Ahmed told the media that authorities in Myanmar have been apprised of the ongoing raid.

The BGB has also asked the Myanmar Army and border force to seal their border. “The situation in the area is normal now. The combing operation to capture the separatists is on. Myanmar authorities are also firm on the issue,” Gen. Ahmed said.

Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who visited the Bandarban on Thursday, told journalists that the joint operation would continue to neutralise the separatist Arakan Army.

On Thursday, the BGB detained 10 horses used to transport goods to the rebel group.

 

[IndoUS]

So you are actually supporting Myanmar this is interesting a lot of people here won't be happy

 

[RazorMC]

Any background info on this conflict please?

 

[bongbang]

Any background info on this conflict please?

There are 100s separatist groups active in Myanmar. They want more autonomy. Arakan historically was not part of Myanmar. It was free kingdom. Chittagong was also part of the kingdom. In the year of 1785 Arakan fall on the hands of Burmese force. But before they could free themselves they fall under British rule.

The Chittagong hill tract is a rough mountain area and unprotected. These separatist groups hide here as safe heaven. They have collision with local people, tourists and security agencies. From here they take training and attack on Burmese Army. Recently they unleashed an organized attack on a BGB team. So Army BGB launched a counter operation on them to clean them from here.

Edit: These are ethnic Rakhine Arakan Army.

 

[Hindustani78]

Huge arms cache recovered from Bangladesh's hill region | Zee News
Last Updated: Monday, September 7, 2015 - 17:42


Dhaka: A huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered on Monday after a gun-battle between the Bangladesh army and militants in the country`s Chittagong hill region, an official said.

Based on inputs that armed cadres of regional political group Jana Sanghati Samiti (JSS-MN Larma) were camping in the area, troops were mobilised in Khagrachari district, Xinhua quoted an official as saying.

Sensing the presence of the military, armed rebels opened indiscriminate firing following which the security forces retaliated, the official said.

"We have recovered five firearms, 450 bullets and six pairs of military uniforms and several hand grenades from the area after the militants escaped under the cover of darkness," said the Khagrachari district administration official.

The army searched the spot and arrested one person who was identified as an armed member of the regional political group JSS-MN Larma.

Last month, five suspected militants were killed in a clash with the Bangladesh army in Chittagong hill region.

Last month`s encounter between the army and JSS, a former rebel group which has been waging an insurgency since 1975 for political autonomy in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) bordering India and Myanmar, was the first of its kind since 1997.

The bitter insurgency ended in 1997 after JSS leaders signed a peace accord with the Bangladesh government.

Despite the peace accord, JSS reportedly continued to have a bloody feud with another hill-based organisation the United Peoples` Democratic Front (UPDF) and JSS-MN Larma.

Bangladesh Army claimed that the victims were armed members of two regional political groups -- UPDF and JSS-MN Larma.

The UPDF and the JSS later denied any link with those killed in the fighting.

IANS