Gunfire heard again along Teknaf border, Rohingyas attempt to cross
The situation in Myanmar’s Rakhine State is becoming increasingly tense again as armed clashes and exchanges of gunfire are taking place between the Arakan Army and other armed groups.
Arakan Army currently controls parts of Rakhine.
With the fresh round of fighting, Rohingyas in those areas are suffering casualties. Many are attempting to cross the Naf river by boat into Bangladesh.
Multiple sources along the border said that heavy gunfire broke out in several villages across the Naf river opposite of Teknaf’s Whykong border around 10:00pm on Friday.
The intermittent shooting continued until 5:00am on Saturday. Residents on the Bangladeshi side could hear the gunfire across the river.
Earlier, on 19 August night, a five-hour-long gun battle took place between armed groups in the “Narkel Bagan” area of Rakhine State across the Ghumdhum border in Naikhongchhari upazila.
Reportedly, other groups launched the assault in an attempt to capture two border outposts held by the Arakan Army. Ten days before that, there had been another clash in the same area.
Sirajul Mostafa Chowdhury, a member of ward No. 2 of the Whykong union parishad, also heard the gunfire across the border on Friday night.
He told Prothom Alo that continued fire was heard across the border from 10:00pm Friday to 5:00am Saturday. This spread panic among Bangladeshi fishermen who had gone to the Naf river to fish, as well as residents of the Whykong border areas. However, no bullets landed inside Bangladesh border. The BGB is patrolling the river.
Sirajul added that residents of Whykong border heard the deafening sounds of mortar shells from across the border for 11 months at a stretch last year. There was a respite for seven to eight months. But suddenly last night, the gunfire across the river woke up Teknaf residents and left many shocked.
Near the embankment along the Whykong border, Bangladeshis operate several shrimp and crab farms. At one shrimp enclosure lives Mahmudur Rahman, a local resident and shrimp businessman.
Naf river lies east of his enclosure, and Rakhine state beyond it. Worried after a night of gunfire, Mahmudur Rahman told Prothom Alo that across from Whykong Union lie several villages in Rakhine State—Kumirkhali, Shilkali, and Saidong.
Eight years ago, these villages still had Rohingya settlements. But after 25 August, 2017, the Myanmar junta expelled hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas and pushed them into Bangladesh. Later, the junta built army barracks and border guard outposts there. On 7 December last year, the Arakan Army ousted the junta forces and took control of those camps and barracks. Now, various armed groups are attacking Arakan Army positions.
According to multiple border sources, armed groups such as the Arakan Salvation Army (ARSA), Arakan Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (ARSO), and Arakan Rohingya Army (ARA), among others, have been launching fresh attacks on Arakan Army positions for quite some time now.
As a result, many Rohingyas are being displaced and trying to flee to Bangladesh. It is reported that several thousand Rohingyas are currently gathered near the Naf River by Maungdaw township. Some are being caught by the BGB as they attempt to cross the river into Teknaf.
Just yesterday (Friday), Teknaf BGB intercepted 62 Rohingyas in the Naf river. Confirming this, Lieutenant Colonel Ashiqur Rahman, commander of the Teknaf-2 BGB Battalion, told Prothom Alo that reports suggest thousands of Rohingyas across the river are waiting to enter Bangladesh. To prevent infiltration, the BGB is active along both the river and the land border.
“Some people are trying to cross the border, but we are not allowing anyone in. Along with increasing patrols at the crossing points, surveillance has been tightened,” the BGB commander added.
Sheikh Ehsan Uddin, the Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), told Prothom Alo that the incident of gunfire in Rakhine has been reported to higher authorities.
"Our law enforcement personnel at the border are on alert. In addition, the BGB and Coast Guard are in strong positions along land and waterways to prevent infiltration,” he added.
BGB and police sources said that a member of Arakan Army named Jibon Tanchangya fled into Ukhiya in Bangladesh, surrendering to BGB with an AK-47 rifle, 52 rounds of ammunition, and two magazines, on 11 August. He is currently in BGB custody and has claimed to be a Bangladeshi citizen. On 17 August at noon, BGB arrested two more Arakan Army associates from the Tumbru border.
Naikhongchhari police station’s officer in charge (OC) Md Masrul Haque said BNP has arrested five individuals so far and handed them over to police.
Three among them are Myanmar citizens and two Bangladeshis. All are now in Bandarban jail, he added.