A Rohingya man was shot and injured by a bullet fired from Myanmar as heavy gunfire erupted across the border in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, from Thursday night to early Friday morning. The continuous gunfire spread fear among residents in the border area.
The injured youth, Md. Yaser, 18, is the son of Md. Hasur and a resident of G-5 block, Camp 12, Thaingkhali in Ukhiya.
Gafur Uddin Chowdhury, chairman of Palongkhali Union, said that from 11:00 pm Thursday to early Friday, sporadic but intense gunfire occurred across the Myanmar border near Palongkhali, Thaingkhali, Rahmater Bil, and Balukhali in Ukhiya. The incident created panic among border residents, many of whom stayed awake all night.
Ali Hossain of Thaingkhali Rohingya Camp said that they heard gunfire near the Bangladesh-Myanmar border at night, and suddenly a bullet struck Md. Yaser below the stomach, injuring him.
Lt Col Mohammad Josim Uddin, commander of the Ukhiya Battalion (64 BGB), said, “We are on high alert and closely monitoring the situation. Gunfire was reported from across the border near Balukhali BOP.”
Over the past one and a half years, the Arakan Army, a rebel group in Myanmar, has been fighting the country’s junta forces and has taken control of most towns in Rakhine and 271 kilometers of the border, though conflicts continue in the area.