Intense firing on Myanmar side of Naikhongchhari border again

Heavy firing was heard again on the Myanmar side of the border at Naikhongchhari’s Ghumdhum area today. The firing was not heard in the last two days, but resumed at around 2:45pm on Saturday.

The firings have rattled the Bangladeshi residents adjoining the border area, said the local sources.

Several sources of the border said the fighting is going on between the insurgent group Arkan Army and the Border Guard Police (BGP) in Myanmar.

Some public representatives of Naikhongchhari said BGP’s Tumbru Right outpost and Dhekibunia outpost are located in the area from where the gunshots are heard. Apart from these two outposts, all the remaining posts of BGP in the border area of about 48 km have been taken over by the Arakan Army. The rebel group is now fighting with the frontier force to take control of the remaining two camps.

Activities of armed persons have been visible on the Myanmar side of the border from Saturday morning, said the locals.

Ghumdhum union parishad chairman Jahangir Aziz said the people near the border area of Bangladesh have been asked to remain alert as the sound of firing is very intense this time.

Earlier, the two camps of the BGP came under attack on 29 and 31 January.

During the fighting, mortar shells and bullets reportedly fell on Bangladesh’s Tumbru, Konarpara and Paschim Ghumdhum. Deputy commissioner Shah Mojahid Uddin and police superintendent Saikat Shahin visited the Ghumdhum border area at that time.
The DC said Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), police and other security forces of Bangladesh are on alert in the border to tackle any situation.