Ataullah abu Ammar Jununi | |
|---|---|
| Native name | عطالله أبو عمار جنوني |
| Other name | Ata Ullah |
| Born | |
| Allegiance | Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army |
| Active | 9 October 2016 (2016-10-09) – 18 March 2025 (2025-03-18) |
| Conflicts | Internal conflict in Myanmar |
| Signature |  |
Ataullah abu Ammar Jununi[1][2] (Arabic:عطالله أبو عمار جنوني) is aRohingya militant who serves as leader of theArakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a Rohingyainsurgent group active in northernRakhine State,Myanmar.[3] Ataullah has appeared in several videos released online by ARSA, where he gives press statements and speeches.[4] In 2016 and 2017, Jununi led the ARSA in major attacks on Myanmar police posts on the border with Bangladesh. Following this theTatmadaw launched operations against the Rohingya, also known as theRohingya genocide. In March 2025, Jununi was arrested by Bangladeshi police.
Ataullah was born inKarachi, Pakistan into a Rohingya family fromMyanmar who had fledreligious persecution during the 1960s.[5] At an early age, Ataullah's family moved toMecca,Saudi Arabia, where he studied in anIslamic school.[3] Ataullah later served as animam for the Rohingyadiaspora community in Mecca which numbered around 150,000, before migrating toMutiara Damansara,Malaysia under the new title of Mevlana Hezri.[6]
TheInternational Crisis Group (ICG) released a report in December 2016 stating that Jununi had close links with Saudi Arabia.[7] The ICG report states that Jununi left Saudi Arabia in 2012, shortly afterreligiously motivated violence erupted inRakhine State. AMyanmar government press release claimed that Jununi spent six months training in modernguerrilla warfare under theTaliban inPakistan. The report stated that there are indications he went to Pakistan, and possibly elsewhere, to receive training in guerrilla warfare. Several members of the group also stated to the ICG that he may have received additional training inLibya before his return to Rakhine State.[3]
On 9 October 2016, Jununi led hundreds of ARSA insurgents to theBangladesh–Myanmar border, where they attacked Burmese border police posts.[8] A week later, Jununi appeared in a video online, claiming responsibility for the attacks.[3][4] Jununi led a second large-scale attack on 25 August 2017, which resulted in the deaths of 71 people.[9][10][11] ARSA was blamed for theKha Maung Seik massacre of 99Bengali Hindus that occurred on the same day, a charge Jununi denied.[12]
Jununi's half-brother, Muhammad Shah Ali, a member of ARSA, was arrested by theArmed Police Battalion on 16 January 2022 in a camp nearCox's Bazar while carrying arms and drugs.[13] After his half-brother was arrested, Jununi was interviewed by Bangladeshi news channel,Jamuna TV in February 2022.[14]
In June 2022,Bangladesh Police accused Jununi of ordering themurder of Mohib Ullah because Jununi feared that Ullah and his organization, the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights, would impede ARSA's operations. The police also accused Jununi of demanding Ullah shutdown his organization and join ARSA, which Ullah refused.[15]
On 18 March 2025, Jununi was arrested by Bangladesh'sRapid Action Battalion inNarayanganj.[16][17][18]