Rival Militant Faction Blamed for Fatal Shooting at Coxs Bazar Rohingya Camp
Photo Collected
A member of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) was shot dead early Wednesday morning in the Balukhali refugee camp in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, as escalating tensions between rival armed groups continue to destabilize the region.
Authorities identified the victim as 34-year-old Md. Zubair, a resident of the camp’s H-29 block. According to police, the incident occurred at approximately 3:30 a.m. while Zubair was walking to a local mosque for morning prayers. A group of assailants, identified by police as members of the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO), intercepted him and fired five shots at close range.
Nearby residents rushed the critically injured man to the MSF hospital located in block H-59, where he was pronounced dead by attending physicians.
Mohammad Siraj Amin, the Additional Deputy Inspector General of the 14th Armed Police Battalion (APBn), confirmed the targeted killing. Preliminary investigations suggest the attack was fueled by long-standing animosity and internal power struggles between the two militant factions. Police have since launched a security operation within the camp to apprehend those responsible for the shooting.
The killing marks the latest chapter in a violent power struggle between ARSA and RSO over control of the sprawling refugee settlement, which houses approximately 50,000 people. Officials noted that the two groups have been locked in a cycle of drug trafficking disputes and retaliatory murders.
Zubair, who had reportedly defected from the RSO to join ARSA roughly a year ago, is among at least 23 people killed in clashes between the two groups over the past two years. Security forces report that armed militants frequently retreat to the nearby hills during daylight hours, only to infiltrate the camp under cover of darkness through breaches in the perimeter fencing. Following reports of increased military-style maneuvering by both groups in the days leading up to the attack, authorities remain on high alert to prevent further violence.
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