At least 15 suspected militants were detained, and illegal firearms were recovered during a joint operation in Chattogram’s Jungle Salimpur and surrounding areas, police said on Monday.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Ahsan Habib Palash said, “A total of 3,056 personnel from 10 teams involving members of the police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), army, Armed Police Battalion (APBn), and the district administration carried out the operation.”
“The joint teams have so far arrested 15 suspected militants and recovered five firearms during the drive,” the DIG said, adding that two camps have been set up in the Chinnomul and Alinagar areas by police and RAB.
He also said that artillery would be used to secure the camps if necessary, and the operation will continue until 4pm.
Chattogram Range Additional DIG (Crime) Nazmul Hasan said, “The coordinated operation targets militant strongholds and illegal arms caches. Several suspects have been detained, and searches continue.”
He was speaking to reporters at the Salimpur entry point around 11am.
The operation began around 5am under directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Law enforcers have been deployed in Sitakunda, with a special focus on Salimpur’s rugged hilly terrain, which spans roughly 3,100 acres.
Law enforcement officials emphasised that the operation aims to arrest suspects linked to the January murder of RAB-7 deputy director Md Abdul Motaleb Hossain Bhuiyan. A murder case accusing 29 people including Yasin has been filed at Sitakunda Police Station. In October last year, two journalists were also attacked while covering the area, highlighting its lawlessness.
Rumours circulate that top ‘militant’ Yasin fled in burqa
Local sources claim that Yasin, one of the prime accused in the RAB officer murder case, may have escaped the area before the operation began.
A resident, requesting anonymity, said a person wearing a burqa was seen leaving through a hidden mountain path early Monday morning, believed to be Yasin. Reports suggest that in past operations, he frequently disguised himself as a woman or a CNG driver to evade capture.
Yasin reportedly established dominance in the area through extortion and control over land plots and local services, generating transactions worth several crore taka each month.
Since August 2024, Jungle Salimpur and nearby Alinagar have seen violent clashes among rival militant groups.
Law enforcement officers said that the area will remain cordoned off until the operation concludes, with searches continuing to prevent militants from regrouping or escaping.
The area is densely populated, home to nearly 1,50,000 residents in 20,000–25,000 households, many of whom migrated from other parts of the country. Its remote geography has long made it a refuge for criminals.
Forces have divided into multiple teams, with some searching lower settlements and others advancing along narrow mountain trails. Checkpoints have been set up along potential escape routes.
The Bayezid–Faujdarhat link road has been closed, and armoured vehicles deployed nearby. Police, RAB, and intelligence personnel are also positioned at the Jungle Salimpur entry point.
The area contains numerous mountain streams, dense undergrowth, and abandoned houses, often used by militants to hide. Teams are moving in small units due to the narrow and treacherous terrain.
Top “militant” Yasin, along with Nurul Haq Bhandari and Faruk, who are believed to have operated from Jungle Salimpur, are among the main accused in the killing case.
