Armed criminals launched a late-night attack on a joint forces camp in the Jungle Salimpur area of Sitakunda, Chittagong, triggering a two-hour-long gunfight.
The attack took place around 2am on Monday when the criminals opened fire on the camp, prompting members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) to retaliate.
Confirming the incident, Commander of RAB-7 Hafizur Rahman said the “Yasin Group” carried out the attack on the joint forces camp in Jungle Salimpur around 1am.
He said the joint forces used non-lethal weapons to bring the situation under control, and an exchange of gunfire between both sides continued for nearly two hours.
Later, the joint forces entered the area and began operations to restore order, he added.
According to Hafizur Rahman, security forces are currently conducting drives across the area, while search operations are ongoing around the scene.
However, no casualties or arrests have been reported so far.
Jungle Salimpur, a remote hilly area under Salimpur union in Sitakunda upazila, has long been known as a safe haven for criminal groups. Numerous houses, shops and markets have been built illegally on government land after hills were cut down in the area.
Land office sources said various armed groups have maintained dominance over the approximately 3,100-acre area for nearly four decades. Although several government development projects were planned there, implementation could not proceed because authorities failed to free the land from illegal occupation.
Earlier, on January 19, RAB Assistant Sub-Inspector Motaleb Hossain was killed in an attack by armed criminals in the same area. Three other RAB members and a source were also injured in that incident.
Although a case was filed with Sitakunda police station, the main accused remain at large.
