Gunfire, blasts heard near Myanmar border

The sound of mortar shells and gunfire have been heard from early on Monday morning, after several days of relative calm, across the Naf River near the Myanmar border.

The violence is causing anxiety for residents of villages in the Shah Porir Dip area of Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf, reports bdnews24.com.

Mohammad Siddique, who works as a toll collector at the Shah Porir Dip jetty in Teknaf’s Sabrang Union, said explosions and gunfire could be heard across the border from early in the morning to 10:00 am.

“The gunfire started on the Myanmar side around Sehri time. Around dawn, we heard the sounds of mortar shells. The fishermen and other local residents are nervous.”

“There wasn’t too much fighting for the past four or five days,” said Abdul Gani, president of the Jalia Para Fisherman Association in Shah Porir Dip. “But we heard a loud noise around 9:30 pm.”

BGB Teknaf-2 Battalion Commander Lt Col Md Mohiuddin Ahmed said the border security force is monitoring the situation in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. BGB personnel are on alert to prevent any Rohingya from entering Bangladesh.

Fighting between armed insurgents and the Myanmar junta’s forces have been ongoing for the past few months. The rebels have managed to seize several areas and guard posts in that time.

Bangladeshis in border areas have felt the impact of the fighting. Two Bangladeshis have died and several others were injured when it spilt across the border. Several houses in Bangladesh have been struck by bullets as well, causing panic among border residents.