Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army

Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army
π΄€π΄π΄Œπ΄π΄‘π΄π΄• π΄Œπ΄Ÿπ΄‡π΄π΄₯π΄™π΄šπ΄’π΄™π΄ π΄π΄ π΄“π΄œπ΄žπ΄€π΄π΄ π΄• π΄€π΄π΄Œπ΄”π΄ž
Leaders
Dates of operation2013 (2013) – present
HeadquartersRohingya refugee camps, Cox's Bazar
Active regionsBangladesh–Myanmar border
Northern Rakhine State
Chittagong Division
IdeologySeparatism
Jihadism
Islamic Nationalism
StatusActive
Size5000+
Allies
OpponentsState opponents:

Non-state opponents:

Designated as a terrorist group by
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The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA; Rohingya: π΄€π΄π΄Œπ΄π΄), formerly known as Harakah al-Yaqin (Arabic: Ψ­Ψ±ΩƒΨ© Ψ§Ω„ΩŠΩ‚ΩŠΩ†, lit. 'faith movement'; Rohingya: 𐴀𐴝π΄₯π΄“π΄˜π΄π΄‘π΄žπ΄•), is a Rohingya insurgent group originating from northern Rakhine State, Myanmar. According to a December 2016 report by the International Crisis Group, it is led by Ataullah abu Ammar Jununi, a Rohingya man who was born in Karachi, Pakistan, and grew up in Saudi Arabia. Other members of its leadership include a committee of Rohingya Γ©migrΓ©s in Saudi Arabia. Ataullah and the group's leadership have received military training from the Pakistani Taliban.

Myanmar's Anti-Terrorism Central Committee declared ARSA a terrorist group on 25 August 2017 in accordance with the country's counter-terrorism law. ARSA is also considered a terrorist group by Malaysia.

ARSA has been accused by Myanmar's government of being involved with and subsidised by foreign Islamists, despite there being no firm evidence proving such allegations. ARSA subsequently released a statement on 28 August 2017, calling government allegations against it as "baseless" and claiming that its main purpose is to defend the rights of Rohingyas. Despite this claim, ARSA members have been arrested for murders and acts of arson against other Rohingyas, particularly community leaders, residing in Bangladesh.