Arakan Rohingya Army

Last updated
Arakan Rohingya Army
LeadersNabi Hossain [1] [2]
Abdullah Kane [3]
Dates of operation2020 (2020)–present [4]
Active regions Bangladesh–Myanmar border [5]
Northern Rakhine State
Ideology
SizeApproximately 30 [6]
AlliesRohingya Islami Mahaz Flag.svg Rohingya Islami Mahaz
Flag of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.png Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (since 2025)
Flag of the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (since 2021).png Rohingya Solidarity Organisation
Flag of the Myanmar Armed Forces.svg Tatmadaw (since 2024)
OpponentsState opponents:
Flag of Myanmar.svg Myanmar Non-state opponents:
Infobox AA.png Arakan Army

The Arakan Rohingya Army (ARA) is an ethnic Rohingya insurgent group founded by Nabi Hossain. [7]

Contents

Formation

Formed in September 2020, ARA claimed that its fighters were based in Rakhine State and that it promised equal rights for everyone. [4] Its leaders, Nabi Hossain and Abdullah Kane, are wanted by Bangladeshi authorities for drug smuggling and mafia-like activities. [8] [9] [2] [1] [10]

Conflict

The group started fighting against the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army after peace activist, Mohib Ullah, was allegedly killed by the latter group on 29 September 2021. [2]

On 6 February 2024 the Arakan Army and the RSO cooperated on a joint assault against ARA, who had captured a Border Guard Police camp along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border during the Rakhine Offensive. [1] During the month of April, ARSA and ARA reportedly fought with the Tatmadaw against AA in Buthidaung, where they burnt down homes and kidnapped civilians. [11] According to statements from both AA and Rohingya refugees, ARA forcibly recruits young men to fight with the Myanmar military. [12] [13]

On 30 August 2024, Nabi Hossain was arrested by the Armed Police Battalion. [14]

After the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina, Nabi Hossain was released. [15] ARA later clashed with AA from 11-13 January 2026 before fleeing to Bangladesh. [16] [17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Bangladeshis fret over unconfirmed return of Rohingya militant Nabi Hossain amid Myanmar conflict. February 9, 2024. Bdnews24.com. Archived February 28, 2024, at the Wayback Machine
  2. 1 2 3 Is Nabi Hossain main perpetrator behind violence at Rohingya camp?. March 8, 2023. Prothom Alo. Archived March 9, 2024, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ A New Dimension to Armed Conflicts in Arakan?. Transnational Institute. September 20, 2023. Naing Lin Archived April 23, 2024, at the Wayback Machine
  4. 1 2 Rohingya rights: New armed group ARA emerges in Rakhine. September 6, 2020. Dhaka Tribune.
  5. ↑ "Breaking Away: The Battle for Myanmar's Rakhine State" (PDF). International Crisis Group.
  6. ↑ Unravelling the Maungdaw Exodus: new report sheds light on factors driving large-scale Rohingya displacement in Maungdaw Kaladan Press. December 17, 2024. Archived December 18, 2024, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ Competing armed groups pose new threat to Rohingya in Bangladesh International Institute for Strategic Studies. December 11, 2023
  8. ↑ Rohingya Armed Groups Active Again in Western Myanmar. September 20, 2021. The Irrawaddy. Archived September 27, 2023, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ Gang-related crimes rampant in Rohingya camps. Bangla Tribune. August 26, 2019. Nuruzzaman Labu Archived August 26, 2019, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ↑ Case filed against 23 armed Myanmar nationals who fled to Bangladesh. Dhaka Tribune. February 9, 2024.
  11. ↑ Myanmar Junta Using Rohingya Recruits to Sow Ethnic Hatred: Activists. Brian Wei. The Irrawaddy. April 19, 2024. Archived April 19, 2024, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ↑ Rohingya Forced to Fight Alongside Myanmar Army Tormentors. Agence France-Presse. May 29, 2024. Archived May 29, 2024, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ 194 organisations say Rohingya must no longer be exploited for military and political gain. Mizzima. May 23, 2024. Archived June 1, 2024, at the Wayback Machine
  14. ↑ Rohingya smuggler Nabi Hossain arrested. Dhaka Tribune. September 1, 2024 Abdul Aziz
  15. ↑ Rohingya militant Nabi Hossain warns of 'action' against smugglers. December 18, 2025. Dhaka Stream.
  16. ↑ နတ်မြစ်ကျီးကျွန်းတိုက်ပွဲ ARA အပါအဝင် အကြမ်းအဖွဲ့ဝင် အနည်းဆုံး ၁၅၀ ကျော်သေဆုံးဟုဆို. January 12, 2026. Narinjara News.
  17. ↑ টেকনাফে সাবেক ইউপি সদস্য আটক, বাড়ি থেকে রোহিঙ্গা সশস্ত্র গোষ্ঠীর সরঞ্জাম উদ্ধার. January 17, 2026. Kaler Kantho.
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