Photo : TDM
The Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA) is again hogging the headlines after two army soldiers were killed and two more officers got injured in the latest attack – this time an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion and ambush by the terrorists – in Ruma Upazila of Bandarban.
The KNA has been trying recently to create an anarchic environment through terrorist activities in the deep forests of Ruma, Rowangchari and Thanchi upazilas of Bandarban.
Earlier on April 17 last year, a person named Action Chakma was killed in an armed attack on the village of Bilpara of Barathali Union of Bilaichhari Upazila of Rangamati. Then on June 21 of the same year, a statement was made in the name of KNF, accepting responsibility on Facebook after three people were killed in Saizam Natunpara.
In March this year, Army’s Master Warrant Officer Nazim Uddin was killed in surprise firing by the KNA on an army patrol in Bandarban’s Rowangchhari. Two more soldiers were injured.
In addition, eight people were killed in two-sided firing in Bandarban last April. Kuki-chin’s name came up in this clash as well. The KNF then posted the NID cards of the victims on a Facebook ID named 'Va Te Kuki' and claimed that seven of its members had been killed.
Law enforcement forces have been conducting operations since October 9 last year against the Kuki Chin National Front (KNF), a new armed group in Chittagong Hill Tracts. The alleged military wing of the KNF is called the KNA. Earlier, law enforcement forces arrested many members of Jamaatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, a new militant group of the country, by raiding the hideout of this armed group. It has been reported earlier by the law and order forces that militants from the plains used to train in that hideout.
The organization named KNF was formed in Ruma Upazila of Bandarban. Its leader is Nathan Bom, a resident of Ruma Upazila Sadar Bazar. He formed an organization called Kuki Chin Development Organizations (KNDO) in 2012. It was later converted into an armed organization called KNF.
The full name of this Nathan Bom is Nathan Loncheo Bom. He is a resident of Aden Para in Ruma Upazila of Bandarban. He studied in the sculpture department of the Fine Arts Faculty of Dhaka University. During his student life, Nathan was involved in Pahari Chhatra Parishad supported by Jan Sanghati Samiti.
On the one hand, these terrorists are attacking the patrolling teams of the army, and sometimes kidnapping for money. Many mountaineers are fleeing the village in fear of this. Many people are not getting the courage to speak against them even though these things are going on constantly.
According to intelligence sources, KNF chief Nathan Bom and top leaders of this organization are located on the border of Mizoram and Myanmar. They quickly changed their position by taking advantage of the remote mountainous area. It is also known that Nathan Bom spends most of his time in Mizoram.
According to RAB sources, so far they have arrested 17 members of Kuki-chin. RAB has kept strict intelligence surveillance against the organization. Commander Khandaker Al Moin, Director of Law and Media Branch of RAB, said that RAB first raided the training camp of the new militant organization Jamaatul Ansar Fil Hindal in Sharqiya and found the association of cookie-chin terrorists with them.
Later, operations were conducted against them along with various intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies. Since they are located in the uninhabited areas of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, it is very difficult to conduct operations there. However, joint operations with various forces have been conducted and many of the Kuki-Chin terrorists have been brought to under the law, he added.
Meanwhile, KNF’s logo shows the date of establishment in 2008, but in 2018, the terrorist activities of the organization came to everyone’s attention. However, since the middle of last year, the terror activities of the organization have increased in the mountains.
Since then, the organization has been accused of murder, kidnapping, extortion and attacks on security forces. The organization has created illegal and fabricated maps covering almost half the area of the hill region. Their imaginary map has borders of Bangladesh, Myanmar and India on three sides.
TDM/SD
