4 killed in rival's armed clash in Khagrachhari

At least four people were killed in a reported gunfight between two rival armed groups in the remote Naraichhari area of Dighinala upazila in Khagrachhari on Friday night.

The incident occurred around 8:30pm in the Joar Sindhu Karbaripara area, where an armed clash broke out between members of the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) and the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (JSS), confirmed Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Dighinala Police Station, Md Jakaria.

According to initial reports, a 40-45-member armed unit of UPDF, led by commander Biplob Chakma, confronted a rival 35-40-member armed group of the JSS led by Joydeb Chakma over territorial dominance in the hilly region.

Four members of UPDF’s armed wing, reportedly known as the Gonomukti Fouj or People's Liberation Army, were shot dead in exchange of fire. Several others were injured, though the identities of the deceased have not yet been confirmed.

While a pent-up situation was prevailing there immediately after the incident, police say the area is now under control and normalcy has returned.

However, the UPDF has denied any such incident took place. In a press statement released on Saturday, Angya Marma, the Khagrachhari district organiser of the UPDF, dismissed the reports as baseless.

“No such incident occurred. As a democratic political organisation, UPDF does not operate any armed wing such as the so-called ‘Gonomukti Fouj’ or ‘People's Liberation Army’. Such information is completely fabricated and politically motivated,” the statement read.