In a gunfight between the army and local armed group Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA) in the remote hills of Mulpi Para, Ruma upazila, Bandarban, a KNA commander with the rank of major and another associate were killed in the early hours of Thursday.
During the operation, the army recovered three advanced SMGs, one Chinese rifle, eight magazines, 154 rounds of 9.96mm ammunition, 237 rounds of 39mm ammunition, 60 rounds of 54mm ammunition, three sets of uniforms, eight smartphones, seven Bibles, wireless sets, and other military equipment. Soldiers also seized several incriminating documents.
The Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) confirmed preliminary details of the operation on Thursday morning. Later in the evening, Lieutenant Colonel Alamgir Hossain, commander of the Ruma Zone, provided journalists with a detailed briefing.
However, even after 15-16 hours, the identities of the deceased remained undisclosed.
Local sources suggest the slain commander may have been Major Putin (Lal Min Sang), though no one could confirm this definitively. The briefing noted that operations are still ongoing.
According to local and military sources, acting on intelligence, three special army teams from the Ruma Zone began operations around Remakri-Prasha, Mulpi, and adjacent areas starting midnight Wednesday.
When KNA members detected the operation and opened fire, the army retaliated. The KNA members eventually fled, leaving behind two bullet-riddled bodies, which were later sent to the district hospital morgue for autopsy.
In a related development, RAB arrested Shujon Barua alias Simon (29) from Jalalabad Kulgaon in Chattogram’s Bayezid Bostami thana on Monday for possessing KNA uniforms.
RAB sources identified Shujon as a cadre of the regional political party United Peoples Democratic Front (UPDF). His home is in Santal Para, Lakshmichhari upazila, Khagrachhari, and his father is Ashok Barua.
RAB stated that Shujon was a fugitive in a case related to the recent seizure of KNA uniforms in Chattogram. However, UPDF spokesperson Angya Marma claimed Shujon has no involvement in militant activities, alleging that security forces staged photos by dressing him in military attire and placing weapons in his hands before handing him over to police.
Ongoing military operations in CHT
At a press briefing at Dhaka Cantonment’s Officers’ Mess on Thursday, Colonel Shafiqul Islam of the Military Operations Directorate confirmed ongoing counter-terrorism operations in the hills, with 23 suspects arrested recently. One soldier was killed during these operations.
Colonel Shafiqul stated, “The army is working with the utmost professionalism and responsibility to maintain internal security and stability.”
Hill sources report that Nathan Bawm, a former student of Dhaka University’s Fine Arts Institute, launched armed activities in 2022 to establish an independent Kuki state across nine upazilas.
Initially forming the political wing Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), he later established its armed wing, KNA. Since then, the group has openly promoted its activities on Facebook and YouTube.
Two years later, during “peace talks” with the government, KNA members suddenly retreated after robbing a bank and looting weapons in Ruma on April 2, 2024. The group has been accused of training Islamist militants and trading arms with other insurgent factions.
Following the bank heist, KNA was banned. Most of its guerrilla operatives reportedly crossed into Mizoram and Manipur. During security operations, around 3,000 Jumma farmers – men and women – fled their villages to avoid mass arrests, leaving six hill villages deserted.
Among 28 of those arrested (including women and children), two died in custody.
The army headquarters confirmed on Thursday that improved security has allowed 138 hill people to return home.