Residents of Teknaf border areas were gripped with panic as there were intermittent sounds of gunfire and mortar shells on the Myanmar side amidst clashes and exchanges of fire between the Arakan Army and the armed forces in Myanmar's Rakhine State.
Gunshots were heard intermittently from 10pm on Sunday in the Naf River border area of Whykong in Cox's Bazar's Teknaf.
This caused panic among the people living in those areas.
Previously, the last time residents of these border areas heard gunfire was on March 18.
Whykong Union Parishad Ward No 6 Member Nur Kabir said: “It is 1am, and the sound of gunfire can still be heard at the border. Heavy gunfire can be heard even from my house. Since 10pm, loud blasts intermittently resonate on this side.”
Residents near the border reported that after a few days of quiet, clashes between the two forces resumed on Sunday night in Myanmar, with loud explosions being heard across various border areas in Whykong, including Kharangkhali, Noya Bazar, Mina Bazar, Kanjar Para, Jhimkhali, Unchiprang and Lambabil, instilling fear among the local populace.
Whykong resident Mohammed Faruk said: “After a few days of silence, the sound of heavy artillery has been heard from across the Naf River since last night, causing panic among the locals. It feels as if someone is digging the ground away.”
Whykong Union Parishad Ward No 8 Member Mohammad Alam said: “Today's explosions are significantly louder compared to other days.”
In Mongdaw and Buthidaung in Myanmar, fierce clashes are underway between the separatist group Arakan Army and the country's military. In response, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Coast Guard have increased patrols along the 54-km border from Whykong up to Shahpori Island, surrounded by the Naf River.
Previously, the commander of the BGB's Teknaf 2 Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Md Mohiuddin Ahmed, had said in addition to preventing border infiltration, BGB personnel were ready to face any situation.
