Bangladesh army says 57 rescued in Teknaf hills clash, soldier dead

Bangladeshi security forces rescued at least 57 people, including Rohingya refugees, during a gun battle with suspected human traffickers in the hills of Teknaf, near the Myanmar border, on Thursday 5 November. One soldier died. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army's media wing, gave details of the operation on Thursday evening, The Business Standard reported, and AFP carried its statement on Friday.

The soldier was Md Titash Sheikh, 27, according to ISPR. He was shot in the left shoulder and died later at a military hospital. ISPR said the troops moved on a tip-off. AFP reported that intelligence pointed to an armed gang of 15 to 16 suspected traffickers who had abducted around 120 Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshis. ISPR said five suspected gang members were detained, as reported by The Business Standard and The Daily Star.

A firefight in the Rangikhali hills

The operation took place in Rangikhali, a remote hill area of Teknaf upazila (sub-district) in Cox's Bazar district. A joint team from the army's 10 Infantry Division, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and local police went in, ISPR said. The Business Standard reported they reached the area around 5pm.

The traffickers opened fire as the force approached, and the security personnel returned fire, ISPR said, as reported by The Daily Star. AFP placed the clash on Thursday night, while The Daily Star said the soldier was shot around 5pm. In its statement, reported on 6 November, ISPR said: "During the exchange of fire, an army soldier, Md Titash Sheikh, was shot. The bullet struck his left shoulder. He was bleeding profusely."

According to ISPR, as reported by The Business Standard and The Daily Star, he was taken to a nearby hospital and then to the Combined Military Hospital in Ramu, where doctors declared him dead. Both outlets spell his name "Titas". ISPR gave no family details. A local source told The Business Standard he was the son of Afzal Hossain of Laskardia Union in Faridpur district. Babul Talukder, chairman of the Laskardia local council and described as his maternal uncle, said he had learned of the death through various sources. The army paid tribute to the soldier's sacrifice in the line of duty.

ISPR said 57 hostages were rescued. It said troops also recovered a pistol, a locally made firearm and four rounds of ammunition.

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What remains unanswered

The gap between the numbers is the open question. Intelligence put the hostages at around 120, and ISPR reported 57 rescued. No source says what happened to the rest. They may have escaped or been moved, or they may never have been there. Nor is there a breakdown of the 57 between Rohingya and Bangladeshis, or any account of their condition. The reporting does not say whether the other 10 to 11 gang members were killed, wounded or fled. It does not identify the gang or any affiliation. Every figure comes from ISPR, and none has been independently confirmed.

The case reaches the Rohingya at a sensitive moment. The 2017 military crackdown in Myanmar drove most of Bangladesh's refugees across the border, according to the UN, which puts the number who fled at more than 700,000. It is the subject of a genocide case at the UN's top court in The Hague. The court is due to rule on 19 November, according to AFP.