2 ARSA members held in Cox’s Bazar

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested two suspected members of Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) during a raid in a hill adjacent to Ukhiya Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar.

A huge cache of local and foreign arms, including grenades and rocket cells, were also recovered by the elite force during the raid.

The arrestees are ARSA’s chief coordinator and commander Md Shahnur Prokash Master Salim, 38, and his associate Md Riaz, 27. Both of them are Rohingya.

Arafat Islam, commander of RAB’s law and media wing, gave this information in a press briefing at Lal Pahar in Ukhiya, the site of the incident.

Arafat Islam said that a team of RAB raided ARSA’s hideout in the hills of Ukhiya based on secret information at Lal Pahar, next to Ukhiya Rohingya Camp-20 Extension, on Wednesday morning.

ARSA commander Master Salim and his associate Md Riaz were arrested while escaping during the raid. Three rifles, five grenades, ten locally made hand grenades, one foreign-made revolver- Nine mm, One LG, three cartridges and 13 cocktails were also recovered from their possession, he added.

The RAB commander said that for several days, some Rohingyas have been shot and killed in the Rohingya camp. Because of this, RAB increased intelligence activities in the camp. Following this, based on specific information, the hideout of Myanmar’s terrorist organization ARSA was identified.