Three killed in Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camp attacks

PALANGKHALI CORRESPONDENT

Three Rohingya refugees were killed and three others injured in attacks conducted by rival groups at a refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar early Monday, authorities said.

The violence erupted in the Ukhiya camp’s Block F around 3:45 am when members of the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO) attacked Md Ilyas, 31, shooting him and inflicting severe injuries with sharp weapons, according to police and witnesses. Ilyas, a resident of Block F and the son of Jafar Ahmed, died on the spot due to excessive bleeding.

Shortly after, at around 4:15 am, members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) retaliated by attacking RSO supporters. The victims included Md Ishaq, 54, son of the late Abdur Rakim, and Firoz Khan, 18, son of Md Ismail, both of whom were declared dead upon arrival at Ukhiya Upazila Health Complex. The injured — Abdul Haque, 32, Abdus Shukur, 55, and Abdul Monaf, 60 — were transferred to Cox’s Bazar District Hospital for further treatment. All the injured and deceased are residents of Block F.

Local authorities suggest the conflict arose from a dispute over dominance within the camp. Ilyas, initially an ARSA informant, had reportedly refused to provide information about ARSA activities to RSO members, leading to his murder and the subsequent retaliatory attacks.

Ukhiya Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shamim Hossain confirmed the incident, stating that the bodies had been sent to the morgue and that legal proceedings were underway.

Mohammad Iqbal, commander of the 14 Armed Police Battalion, which is responsible for maintaining law and order in the Rohingya camps, said, “One person died at the scene, and two others died in the hospital. The situation in the camp is now under control.”