Child shot by stray bullet from Myanmar put on life support

A Bangladeshi child who was injured by a stray bullet from Myanmar along the Teknaf border is now on life support at Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH), hospital authorities said.

The shooting took place yesterday (11 January) morning in the Whykong border area of Teknaf in Cox's Bazar. The injured child, Afnan Ara, 12, is currently being treated in the hospital's intensive care unit (ICU), where she has been placed on life support, according to CMCH Director Brigadier General Taslim Uddin.

Speaking to The Business Standard at around 2pm today (12 January), the hospital director said, "The child underwent surgery last night. However, the bullet lodged in her head could not be removed. It is embedded in such a position that attempting to extract it could cause severe bleeding and lead to her death."

He said Afnan Ara has been kept on ventilator support in the ICU. "The hopeful sign is that her physical condition has shown slight improvement since yesterday," he added.

The shooting occurred around 10:30am yesterday in the Techchi Bridge area of Whykong Union. Afnan Ara, a resident of Techchi Bridge village, is the daughter of Jasim Uddin. Another person was also injured by gunfire in the same incident.

Initially, reports circulated that the child had died from her injuries. However, it was later confirmed that she was alive. She was transferred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital yesterday afternoon and admitted to the ICU for critical care.

Quoting local residents, Whykong Police Outpost In-Charge Sub-Inspector (SI) Khokon Chandra Rudra said intense fighting broke out this morning inside Myanmar, just across the border, between the rebel group Arakan Army and an armed Rohingya group, whose identity could not be immediately confirmed. The two sides reportedly exchanged gunfire for at least an hour.

"At one point, members of the Rohingya armed group retreated towards the zero line and took positions there. Around 9am, clashes intensified again. During this time, bullets fired from the Myanmar side hit a Bangladeshi home near the border," he said.

Upon receiving the information, members of the police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and Armed Police Battalion (APBN) rushed to the area.

BGB Cox's Bazar Sector Commander Colonel Mohiuddin Ahmed said 49 members of a Rohingya armed group crossed into Bangladesh through the Whykong border after failing to withstand the clashes on the Myanmar side.

"BGB and police took them into custody immediately after they entered Bangladesh," he said.