UPDF–JSS Clash in Khagrachhari Leaves Four Dead

A violent clash between two rival groups in the Chattogram Hill Tracts resulted in the deaths of four members of the United People’s Democratic Front’s (UPDF) armed wing, the People’s Liberation Army, in a shootout with forces of the Jana Samhati Samiti (JSS) in Khagrachhari’s Dighinala Upazila. The incident occurred around 8:30 pm on Friday (25 July) at Jora Sindhu Karbaripara in Naraichhari, a remote area of the upazila.

According to Md. Jakaria, officer-in-charge of Dighinala Police Station, an armed group of 35 to 40 men led by JSS commander Joydev Chakma encountered a UPDF group of 40 to 45 members under the command of Bipul Chakma, part of the Prasit Bikash Khisa faction. The encounter led to intense gunfire, leaving the area gripped by tension. Preliminary reports indicate that four UPDF members were killed, though their identities have not yet been confirmed. “Law enforcement has been deployed to the scene, and the situation is now under control,” Jakaria stated on Saturday.

UPDF district organizer Angya Marma denied the incident, claiming, “No such incident has taken place.” Neither JSS nor UPDF provided further statements on the clash. The ongoing rivalry between the two groups over territorial and political dominance in the Chattogram Hill Tracts has frequently escalated into violent confrontations, fueling fear among local residents.