Gunfire, shelling in Myanmar rattle Teknaf again, smoke plumes visible over Rakhine

Thousands of residents of as many as 27 villages in the bordering areas of Cox's Bazar's Teknaf upazila woke up to the sounds of intense firing and explosions from the Myanmar side today.

After a pause for two days, the fighting between Myanmar's junta and rebel groups has resumed in Rakhine state, according to locals and public representatives. 

They said they did not hear any such sounds on the day of Eid (17 June), and the day before. However, it started again on 18 June.

From the wee hours of Saturday to 4pm, in addition to numerous loud noises, sounds of at least 40-50 mortar shells and grenades were heard intermittently, inducing panic among the locals. Also, huge plumes of smoke were seen arising from the Rohingya-inhabited villages of Rakhine. 

The sounds have rattled the areas such as Teknaf municipality, sadar, Naitangpara, Chowdhurypara, Jaliapara, Pollanpara, Aliabad, Kulalpara, Khangkar Dail, Nazirpara, Moulvipara, Sabrang-Panchharipara, Shikderpara, Mogpara, Acharpara, Jhinapara, Shah Porir Dwip's Jaliapara, Uttar Para and Mistripara. 

Sabrang union parishad member for ward-5, Mohammad Sharif, told The Business Standard that he heard sounds of around 50-60 mortar shell explosions between Saturday afternoon and the night before.

"Though the incidents are in Myanmar, the panic persists here.

"As night falls, the fear among the locals escalates," added Shafiq, who is also a former member of Cox's Bazar Zilla Parishad. 

Describing the jitters brought by the explosions, a resident of Teknaf municipality, M Kaiser told TBS, "In the middle of the night, the doors and windows of the house shook with loud noises. I woke up, and could not sleep anymore."

A resident of Moulvipara, Abdul Karim, said he also heard the sound of a warplane flying from Myanmar. 

"The ground, the doors and windows of the house shook with the sound of several loud explosions

"At this time, plumes of smoke were seen from villages in the west and south of Maungdaw [town in Rakhine state of Myanmar]," he added.

According to locals, the houses in villages in Maungdaw, on the east bank of the Naf River, which are mostly inhabited by Rohingyas, might have been set on fire as they saw large plumes of smoke in the skies there.

Sources said a substantial number of Rohingyas were trying to flee to Bangladesh by crossing the Naf River.

Panel Mayor of Teknaf municipality Mujibur Rahman told TBS that as the sounds of a series of explosions were coming in, he also saw the houses in Rakhine state engulfed in flames.

Commander Lt Col Md Mohiuddin Ahmed of Teknaf 2 BGB Battalion said they are closely monitoring the ongoing situation in the Rakhine state of Myanmar.

The members of BGB are maintaining strict surveillance at Naf River, guarding the border to prevent any potential unauthorised entry, he added.

Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Adnan Chowdhury told TBS that though the conflict in Myanmar is their internal affair, it is causing unease for individuals residing on the Bangladesh side of the border. 

"BGB and Coast Guard patrols have been strengthened along the border," he said.