Armed groups are once again planning a large-scale attack targeting law enforcement agencies in the remote and rugged Jangal Salimpur area of Chattogram, security sources have warned, after the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) revealed that a possible attack attempt was foiled on Tuesday night amid intensified joint-force operations.
RAB-7 Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Hafizur Rahman said the force’s intelligence wing had received advance information about renewed attack preparations by armed groups. “Based on intelligence input, joint forces conducted coordinated operations in multiple locations and strengthened security at strategic points,” he said.
According to security officials, the notorious ‘Yasin Bahini’ has regrouped and is actively planning fresh assaults on law enforcement personnel. The group allegedly attempted to disrupt security movement by cutting off key access roads and blocking hill-entry routes, aiming to slow down reinforcements during any operation.
The latest threat follows a major armed attack on the night of 25 May in the Alinagar area, where RAB and police temporary camps came under heavy assault. The attackers reportedly used bulldozers and excavators to destroy nearly 70 percent of the under-construction joint forces camp. Multiple roads and culverts were also cut off to isolate the area.
RAB-7 said the assault involved approximately 200 to 300 armed members, many equipped with heavy firearms. Law enforcement personnel responded with retaliatory fire in self-defence, leading to hours of intense confrontation before joint forces regained control.
Authorities say the same pattern has emerged again, with suspected terrorists attempting to cut roads and block movement using construction equipment. Security forces have since seized multiple excavators and bulldozers believed to have been used for illegal hill-cutting and tactical obstruction.
Following repeated incidents, the entire Jangal Salimpur zone has been placed under a strict security lockdown. Two additional platoons have been deployed to reinforce ground control. A high-alert checkpoint has been set up at the Arefin Nagar entry point, where all individuals and vehicles are being thoroughly searched. Heavy vehicles, excavators, bulldozers, and soil-cutting machinery are now strictly restricted from entering without prior police approval.
Chattogram Metropolitan Police Commissioner Hasan Md Shawkat Ali said, “The situation is extremely sensitive. Maximum security measures have been taken to ensure that no armed group can re-establish its stronghold in Jangal Salimpur.”
Security intelligence estimates suggest that Yasin Bahini still maintains around 150 to 200 armed members, some reportedly possessing heavy weapons. The group is believed to have shifted its base deeper into the hills behind Alinagar after sustained pressure from joint forces.
Officials say this new hideout was targeted in a recent RAB operation, but no arrests were made as suspects managed to escape through difficult terrain.
Authorities describe Jangal Salimpur as a long-standing hotspot of illegal land occupation, hill cutting, extortion, and armed criminal activity. The area spans nearly 3,100 acres of government khas land, according to district administration data, and has remained outside effective state control for decades.
Security has been further tightened ahead of a possible visit by senior government officials including Home Minister Salauddin Ahmed on 31 May. Intelligence agencies fear renewed attempts at destabilisation, prompting intensified surveillance, patrols, and checkpoint operations across all entry routes.
For now, Jangal Salimpur remains under heavy surveillance — where tensions continue to simmer between state forces and entrenched armed groups.
