ARSA-JUMB combine could tap Rohingyas and wreck havoc in India

The JUMB which has a strong operational base in West Bengal and the North Eastern states has been a worry for Indian agencies.

The collaboration between the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and the Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, (JUMB) has become a major cause of concern for the security agencies. With the Rohingya issue being debated, Indian agencies say that the link with the ARSA and the JUMB could have a direct fall out in India.

The JUMB which has a strong operational base in West Bengal and the North Eastern states has been a worry for Indian agencies. With it having strong links with ARSA, the agencies worry that they may try and tap into the Rohingya Muslims settled in India.

The ARSA operates in the Rakhine state in northern Myanmar Arsa, previously known by other names including Harakah al-Yaqin, has killed more than 20 police officers and members of the security forces.

On 25 August it attacked police posts in Rakhine state, killing 12 people in its biggest attack so far. In turn, this prompted a counter-insurgency clampdown from the security forces.

The government calls it a terrorist organisation and says its leaders have trained abroad.

The government says the 25 August attack was done with knives and home-made bombs.

Arsa had been training people since 2013. But their first attack was in October 2016, when they killed nine police officers. Arsa says its aims are to "defend, salvage and protect" the Rohingya against state repression "in line with the principle of self-defence".

ARSA has been supported by the JUMB and security agencies say that the direct spillover of this deadly combine would be both in India and Bangladesh. Indian security agencies also cite the Burdwan incident in which the JUMB was preparing 500 bombs in a bid to declare an all out war.

The JUMB on the other hand has also borrowed support from groups such as the Lashkar-e-Tayiba which have already spoken out in favour of the Rohingya cause.

India has repeatedly spoken about the security threat that a faction of the Rohingyas could cause. With many in a vulnerable position, the IB does rule out the possibility of a JUMB-ARSA coming together and tapping these people.

OneIndia News