Ukhiya, Aug 29 (V7N) — A five-year-old child was killed and six people, including his mother and three women, were injured in a gunfight between two armed groups at the Balukhali Rohingya refugee camp in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar.

Some of the injured have been transferred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.

Superintendent of Police Riaz Uddin Ahmed of the 8th Armed Police Battalion (APBn), which is responsible for security duties in Ukhiya, confirmed the incident.

According to police and local sources, the gunfight began on Thursday evening and continued until around 10:00pm in Blocks B-40 and B-41 of Camp-8 East.

Camp residents said they heard more than 100 gunshots during the clash, triggering panic throughout the camp. Many residents left their shelters and came outside in search of safer places.

Amid the gunfire, five-year-old Mojahed sustained a gunshot wound to the head. He was the son of Noor Alam, a resident of the camp. He was taken to Cox’s Bazar District Sadar Hospital in critical condition, where he died while undergoing treatment.

Mojahed’s mother, Tahera Begum, and five others were also injured in the incident. Three of the injured are women. Some of them were transferred from Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital to Chattogram Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.

Police initially suspect that members of the Arakan Rohingya Army (ARA) and the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO) were involved in the gunfight.

However, the exact cause of the clash and the identities of those involved have not yet been confirmed.

Two Die in Separate Incidents at Ukhiya Rohingya Camps

In separate incidents on Friday (Aug 28), law enforcement agencies recovered the body of a young Rohingya man from a camp cemetery, while a three-year-old child died after falling into a lake at another refugee camp in Ukhiya.

On Friday morning, the body of 23-year-old Mohammad Jubair was recovered from a cemetery in Camp-8 West in the Kutupalong area of Ukhiya. The body was later sent to the morgue at Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital for post-mortem examination and other legal procedures.

Jubair’s father is Jabbar Mullah. His family currently lives at the Bhasan Char Rohingya refugee camp. He had come to Kutupalong Camp from Bhasan Char around three years ago for educational purposes.

Rashid Ullah, head majhi of Rohingya Camp-3 in Ukhiya, said Jubair had been missing since August 23.

“Camp residents recovered and identified his body from a cemetery in Camp-8 West on Friday morning. I am currently at Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital with the body,” he said.

Mohammad Riaz Uddin Ahmed, acting commander of the 8th Armed Police Battalion (APBn), said the body had been recovered from the cemetery in Camp-8 West and sent to the Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital morgue for a post-mortem examination.

“The actual cause of death will be known after the post-mortem report is received. Necessary legal action is being taken in connection with the incident,” he said.

Later the same day, at around 3:00pm, three-year-old Sufaira Bibi died after falling into a lake in Block B-4 of Rohingya Camp 20-Extension in Ukhiya. She was the daughter of Mohammad Ayub of the same area.

Mohammad Siraj Amin, commander of the 14th Armed Police Battalion (APBn), said the child had gone to play without the knowledge of her family members and fell into a nearby lake.

“Her relatives later rescued her and took her to hospital, where the attending doctor declared her dead,” he said.

END/MSI/SMA/