2 mortar shells land in Bangladesh again amid Myanmar army-rebel group clashes

By Md. Kamruzzaman

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) – Amid reports of internal gunfights between the Myanmar army and a rebel group that have been ongoing for more than a week, some mortar shells again landed inside Bangladesh on Saturday.

Two rounds fell inside no man's land in the northeastern district of Bandarban, causing no injuries or property damage, according to official sources.

This is the second such incident in less than a week, amid heavy gunfights between the Myanmar army and the Arakan Army rebel group in recent days.

"Today (Saturday), our professional team in the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) was able to deactivate the shells," Deputy Commissioner Bandarban Yasmin Parvin Tibriji told Anadolu Agency.

Two more shells that were landed in the same district on August 28 were also deactivated, she said, adding that there had been no injuries to date.

"We have already directed our border forces to extend monitoring and safety measures throughout the tension-ripped borders," she said.

Based on information from various sources and assessments, she noted that armed fighting has been going on between the Myanmar army and some rebel groups.

"As the fighting raged in the steep forest, which is extremely close to our border, some shells and bullets fell inside our territory," Tibriji explained, adding that border residents have been instructed to remain vigilant.

"We have held a series of meetings with local people and BGB about the matter, and we are fully vigilant to avert any untoward incident," she added.

Meanwhile, roughly 4,500 stateless Rohingya refugees who have been living in camps in the district's no man's land for nearly five years are also concerned about the intense gunfights across the border.

"There has been a lot of gunfire since Saturday morning, and we have seen some military helicopters hovering around and firing mortar shells," Dil Mohammad, a Rohingya camp leader, told Anadolu Agency by phone.

Earlier, on Aug. 29, the Foreign Ministry summoned Myanmar's Ambassador in Dhaka, U Lwin Oo, and protested the border firing and mortar shelling inside Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is currently hosting over 1.2 million Rohingya refugees who fled Myanmar's Rakhine State following a brutal military crackdown in August 2017.

Rohingya and locals have warned that such incidents could worsen the situation and jeopardize Rohingya repatriation.