Followup: KNA commander killed in Bandarban had sent family to Mizoram, trained in India

RUMA CORRESPONDENT, BANDARBAN

A top commander of the Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA), who was killed in a gunfight with the army in Bandarban last week, had earlier moved his family to India’s Mizoram and received armed training in Manipur, officials say.

Sangmin Bom, 27, was one of two KNA members killed during a military raid on 3 July in the remote hills of Ruma upazila. The other was identified as Lal Him Sang Bom, 25. A third member, Lalsang Passan Bom, was arrested.

Local sources say Sangmin served as a KNA commander and chief fundraiser. He was also responsible for recruiting new members. After joining the group, he reportedly received one and a half months of weapons training in Manipur, India.

Before setting up a hideout near his village in Mualpi Para, Sangmin moved his family across the border to Mizoram, possibly to avoid risk during upcoming armed operations.

The group initially tried to build a base deeper in the jungle but shifted to a more familiar area after failing to gain local support. The military raided the site following a tip-off, sparking a shootout that left two KNA members dead.

Soldiers recovered weapons and ammunition during the operation. One rifle is believed to have been among those stolen during a series of bank robberies last year.

The Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), which leads the KNA, demands autonomy for the Kuki-Chin community across nine upazilas in the hill districts. The group’s first batch reportedly trained in Myanmar’s Kachin State in 2019.

In April 2024, KNF members were accused of robbing three bank branches, abducting managers, and seizing weapons. The captives were later freed for ransom, but the weapons were not returned, leading to the collapse of peace talks.

Since then, the army has launched repeated operations. So far, 25 KNF members — including seven security personnel — have been killed. Authorities have arrested 84 people linked to the group. Two senior KNF members recently surrendered to the military.