Army man killed as Kuki-Chin separatists attack patrol in Bandarban

A senior army official was killed and two other soldiers injured when members of the armed separatist group Kuki-Chin National Army opened fire on a patrol team in Thanchi upazila of Bandarban on Sunday.

The deceased Master Warrant Officer Nazim Uddin was a son of late Shamser Ali of Ghaghatpara village of Rangpur Sadar upazila.

The injured army soldiers are being treated at a hospital, according to the ISPR.

Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed expressed deep grief over the death of the officer, said an ISPR press release.

According to the ISPR, the armed terrorist group opened fire on the army team around 1pm on Sunday. The personnel were assigned to ensure security for a team involved in providing free healthcare to mothers and children in remote hill areas on the occasion of National Children's Day 2023 and the Independence Day.

On 11 March, the group kidnapped 12 workers involved in the construction of the Thanchi Road in Bandarban. They also threatened the contractors, suppliers and labourers involved in the project to stop the construction work, which has been implemented under the supervision of the Bangladesh Army.

According to the press release, Kuki-Chin National Army released seven of the workers after receiving a ransom, but four others remain in captivity. One of the workers sustained a gunshot during the incident.

Earlier, on 8 February, Kuki-Chin National Army threatened the Transport Owners Association to stop vehicle movement in three upazilas of Bandarban.

Last Sunday, due to security concerns, the district administration issued an indefinite travel ban in the area.

The separatist Kuki-Chin National Army also provided arms training to the militant group Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya in Bandarban's hilly areas for money, said the ISPR.