Ata Ullah
| Ata Ullah | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Abu Amar Jununi, Ameer Abu Amar and Hafiz Tohar |
| Born | Karachi, Pakistan |
| Allegiance | Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army |
| Battles/wars | |
| Signature |
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Ata Ullah, also known as Abu Amar Jununi, Ameer Abu Amar and Hafiz Tohar, is the leader of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a Rohingya insurgent group active in northern Rakhine State.[1] Ullah appears in several videos released online by ARSA, where he gives "press statements" and speeches.[2]
Early life
Ata Ullah was born in Karachi, Pakistan to a migrant father, who had fled the religious persecution in his native Rakhine State in Myanmar (also known as Arakan, Burma). At an early age, Ullah's family moved to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, where he was enrolled in an Islamic school.[1]
Insurgency
In interviews with the International Crisis Group (ICG), Ullah claimed to have left Saudi Arabia in 2012, shortly after religiously motivated violence erupted in Rakhine State.[1] Ullah also claimed to have received training in modern guerrilla warfare from the Taliban in Pakistan[3] and later had additional training in Libya, though these claims have not been verified.[1]
On 9 October 2016, Ullah led hundreds of insurgents to the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, where they attacked Burmese border police posts.[4] A week later, Ullah appeared in a video online, claiming responsibility for the attacks.[1][2]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Millar, Paul (16 February 2017). "Sizing up the shadowy leader of the Rakhine State insurgency". Southeast Asia Globe Magazine. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
- 1 2 McPherson, Poppy (17 November 2016). "‘It will blow up’: fears Myanmar's deadly crackdown on Muslims will spiral out of control". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ↑ J, Jacob (15 December 2016). "Rohingya militants in Rakhine have Saudi, Pakistan links, think tank says".
- ↑ "Rakhine unrest leaves four Myanmar soldiers dead". BBC News. 12 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.