Kathmandu.

On Thursday, a gang war between armed groups in a Rohingya refugee camp, situated in southern Bangladesh, forced thousands of refugees to flee. Eight people were killed as a result of the clash according to the police and human rights activists. Authorities have arrested 12 people connected with previous incidents of abuse, arson and kidnapping.

It has been said that the clash between the two groups took place due to a war of supremacy in the largest refugee camp in the world. According to Reuters, Additional Police Superintendent, Rafiqul Islam, who is stationed in the town near Cox’s Bazar, mentioned over the phone that there was a situation of high tension. He added that the two factions were fighting for supremacy and they were believed to be involved in human and drug trafficking, since the area, which is linked to Myanmar, is known for the conduct of such activities.

According to human rights groups, more than 100 Rohingyas have been killed in incidents such as this since 2018. This has led human rights groups to accuse it to be “extra judicial killings.” The police, however, stated that the people were killed in the crossfire during a shootout with suspected drug traffickers. Three refugees, who chose to remain anonymous, told Reuters that two notorious local gangs who are involved in drug smuggling, were involved in the shooting. One of the gangs was termed as the Munna Gang, while the other is the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.