Militants receive various arms training in remote hills: RAB
The youths who left home in the name of 'Hijrat' were equipped with five types of skills, including making bombs and operating lethal weapons, in the remote area of Bandarbans hill track.
They chalked out a plan to carry out subversive activities and armed attacks after the training sessions said the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
Khandaker Al Moin, legal and media wing director of the RAB, came up with this disclosure on Friday around noon at a press conference at Bandarbans zilla parishad auditorium.
The elite force organised the briefing to inform the media of the joint drive they conducted last night and arrested seven ‘militants’ and three Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) members.
Khandaker Al Moin said over 50 people are being trained at several training camps of KNF in remote areas in Rangamati and Bandarbans. The arrestees have provided vital information during primary interrogation. They disclosed the names of six important figures of Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, including its amir.
According to law enforcement agencies, Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya was formed under the initiative of some leaders of three banned militant organisations – Ansar Al Islam, JMB and Harkatul Jihad. They launched the organisation in 2017, but took the name in 2019.
According to RAB, the members of this extremist organisation initially target young men from different parts of the country. Later, these youths are inspired to extremism through various types of videos and misinterpretations about religion.
The young men were brainwashed through various ways to get disconnected from their families in order to get ready for the armed attacks.
The men who had left their families were sent to different areas like Patuakhali and Bhola. They were given training about extremism and physical techniques while residing in the safe houses. Moreover, as technique of hiding they were given technical trainings as mason, paint worker, electrician and other professions.
RAB said, after the completion of training at the char areas they were sent to mountains for armed training. There they were receiving training on using arms, manufacturing bombs, guerilla attacks, and tactics of surviving in adverse conditions along with much physical and theoretical knowledge. Separatist organisation KNF memebers used to train and shelter them for money.
By involving with new terrorist orgnisation eight college students went missing from Cumilla on 23 August. As one of them returned, the fact of these men leaving home in the name of ‘hijrat’ by involving with terrorism came in light. After few days the imam of Cumilla city’s Kuba mosque, Shah Muhammad Habibullah went into hiding. After that on 5 October RAB arrested seven persons from various areas of the capital. Among them were four missing men of Comilla. Rest of the three was terrorist organisers and their shelter giver.
During continuous anti-terrorist campaign RAB arrested five personnel including three youth from Jatrabari and Keraniganj of the capital on 9 October. Among them Rakib Hasnat aka Sumon (28) of Sutrapur of old Dhkaka, MD Hossain (22) of Kuakata of Patuakhali and MD Saiful Islam of Noakhali left home inspired by terrorism. And the other two were involved inspiring for terrorism. They are Shah MD Habibullah Habib (32) and Neyamat Ullah (43).
On October 10 RAB published a list of 38 people who went missing from various parts of the country inspired by terrorism. Following that RAB informed about their raid in the hill area.