Heavy shooting, shelling persist on Myanmar side of Tumbru border

Loud noises of heavy gunfire and explosions have again rocked the areas alongside the zero line of Tumbru border of Ghumdhum in Naikhongchhari upazila of Bandarban following reports of clashes between Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO).

After an interval of over 24 hours, from Thursday noon to Friday afternoon, locals again started hearing the loud sounds of gunfire and heavy artillery from around 6pm, sending a wave of panic in the villages adjacent to the border.

Speaking with The Business Standard, Mohammad Alam, a Ghumdhum union parishad (Ward No 3) member, "Shooting and shelling [on the Myanmar side of the border] again started from Friday evening.  

"Members of the RSO have been seen moving freely along the Konarpara Rohingya camp in the zero line near the Tambru border and adjacent areas."

Naikhongchhari UNO Romen Sharma said that he was not aware of the latest development regarding fresh firing on the Myanmar side of the border.

Contacted, ASP of 8 APBn Md Farooq Ahmed said, "Security measures have been beefed inside the Rohingya camps following the news of conflict in Myanmar. 

The situation here [on the Bangladesh side of the border] is under control."

Earlier last week, one person was killed and another injured as shots were fired between two armed groups of Myanmar near the Rohingya camp alongside the zero line of Tumbru border.

The deceased was identified as Hamid Ullah, 27, and the injured was identified as Muhib Ullah, 25.

Rohingya community leader living at the camp, Dil Mohammad, said, "A clash broke out in the morning between members of ARSA and RSO around 6am on 18 January near Konarpara zero line in Naikhongchhari."

On 17 January, there was an incident of gun firing near Dhamakhali border in Ukhiya of Cox's Bazar.

Several people living near the border said BGB members arrested some people with drugs or other stolen goods. The arrestees included the wife of an ARSA top leader.

Afterwards, hundreds of terrorists from Myanmar infiltrated the border and attacked BGB's border outpost (BOP) by heavily firing bullets for more than an hour. They took the detainees and went to Myanmar, according to the locals.

In a press release issued the same day, BGB-34 Battalion Captain Lt Colonel Mohammad Saiful Islam Chowdhury said, based on intelligence information, a special patrol team of Balukhali BOP conducted an operation in an area approximately 1.5 km south of Balukhali BOP inside Bangladesh to detain Yaba traders.

Sensing the presence of the BGB patrol, the Yaba traders fired shots at them. The BGB members fired back at the Yaba traders from strategic positions to protect their lives and property, forcing the Yaba traders to disperse and flee towards Myanmar, said the press release.

No BGB member got injured in the incident. However, it is not known whether any members of the Yaba traders were hurt.

All BGB members at the BOP are on high alert since the incident and patrolling and intelligence activities have been increased, added the press release.