A VDP member has been killed and two more law enforcers injured during a joint forces drive to rescue abducted tourists and their guide in Bandarban’s Ruma upazila.
Local sources said Mechong Mro, a member of the Village Defence Party, died when criminals opened fire on a joint forces team which was conducting a rescue attempt near the Ruma border around noon yesterday.
Army member Kashem and Ansar Sepoy Hannan – who also received gunshot wounds – were flown to the Chittagong Combined Military Hospital.
Lt Rafi, staff officer for army’s Ruma zone, told the Dhaka Tribune that the Bandarban Sadar zone has used helicopters to send army reinforcements to Ruma border following the incident.
On October 3, Jakir Munna, 35, and Abdullah Al-Zubayer, 28, both tourists from Dhaka’s Mirpur, and their guide Mangsai Mro went missing in the Raikkhong Pukur Para in Ruma upazila of the hill district.
The brother of Mangsai later told the Dhaka Tribune that the local commander of the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) had called him and asked for Tk50 lakh in ransom
On Thursday, joint forces recovered a large amount of arms and ammunition during a drive in Ruma, according to an ISPR press statement.
