Army recovers weapons, huge amount of ammunition, equipment in Bandarban

An operational team of the Bangladesh Army conducted a raid at a terrorist den in Noapatang under Rowangchhari upazila in Bandarban district and recovered huge quantities of arms, ammunition, local weapons and other materials early Wednesday.

The army was for a long time aware of information on the presence of an armed miscreant of Jana Samhati Samity (JSS) Santu Larma group, named Apu Chakma, in the Bandarban area. He is known to have carried out extortions, arms exchanges and miscreant activities in Bandarban and adjoining areas.

Acting on a tip-off, the army members of Bandarban Army Zone conducted a successful operation in the area of Noapatang around 5am at the hideout of armed miscreants of JSS (Santu Larma), said an intelligence official.

The armed group was trying to establish a reign of terror by taking hostages at gunpoint, extorting large sums of money from the poor and carrying out miscreant activities, the intelligence official said requesting anonymity.

The army team led by Bandarban Army Zone commander reached the area by crossing various natural obstacles and inaccessible mountain paths. When the team reached near, the armed miscreants fled to the forest.

During this time there was a brief exchange of fire with the army members. Later, their hideout was found and searched.

During the operation, a 9mm pistol loaded with magazines, AK-47 magazine, multiple ammunition bundlers, sharp domestic weapons, commando knife, large quantity of ammunition, communication device (walkie-talkie), solar charger, various types of electronics, 13 cell phones, JSS books, diaries, multiple olive-coloured uniforms and shoes used by JSS's armed affiliates, large quantities of indigenous drugs, large sums of money collected as tolls and receipts of JSS levies, records of extortion per neighbourhood, miscreants' national identity cards and bags used in miscreant activities were recovered from the hideout.  Later, the hideout was destroyed.