Myanmar rebels attack army men in Rangamati

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Myanmarese separatist group Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) swooped on a rescue team of Bangladesh Army in remote Surahapara area of Rangamati’s Bilaichhari early today, leading to a gunbattle that left one dead and another injured.

Meng Pong Mro, 42, a member of Village Defense Party (VDP), was killed in the gunfight that started around 12:00am during the rescue operation for two abducted tourists and their local guide, said Sayeed Tarikul Hasan, Superintendent of Police in Rangamati.

The gunfight also left a member of Bangladesh Army critically injured. He was identified as Abul Kashem, the police official told our Bandarban correspondent.

He was rushed to the Combined Military Hospital (CMCH) in Chittagong by a helicopter as his condition deteriorated, the SP added.

Soon after the attack, additional army and BGB men from the district headquarters joined the gunbattle that continued till 1:30pm.

The joint force took the situation under control as the separatist group retreated.

On October 03, armed criminals abducted Abdullah Al Jubayer, 26, of Mirpur-2, Jaker Hossain Munna, 34, of Eastern Housing area of Dhaka, and their local guide Mangsai Mro, 30, when they left for remote Chetlang waterfall in Bilaichhari upazila through Ruma upazila of Bandarban.

Source: The Daily Star