Myanmar Clashes Along Bangladesh Border,Many Myanmar Border Guards Flee to Bangladesh

Defense News , Myanmar :- In a concerning development on Sunday, intense fighting erupted close to the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, leaving terrified residents caught in the crossfire. Reports emerged of bullets crossing the frontier, medical professionals treating injured individuals, and the admission by the government that guards had sought refuge as the situation escalated.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF), an aid agency, revealed that its medical team in Cox’s Bazar had received a substantial influx of patients following the clashes at the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. As of Sunday evening, Kutupalong Hospital had admitted 17 patients, with no detailed information provided regarding their nationalities or injuries.

According to Bangladesh's Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, at least 14 border officers from Myanmar's Rakhine state sought refuge in Bangladesh for self-protection as rebel forces from the Arakan Army (AA) advanced. However, local media sources suggested a higher number, with Channel 24 reporting that 66 officers, including 10 with bullet wounds, sought shelter on Bangladeshi soil.

Minister Khan expressed concern about the Arakan Army's continuous advancement, stating, "The Arakan Army has captured many areas of Rakhine state one after another. According to our information, they are advancing forward." The conflict in the region has been ongoing since November, when the AA terminated a ceasefire that had held since a 2021 coup.

Parts of Myanmar near the Bangladesh border and neighboring India have witnessed frequent clashes, escalating tensions in the region. An alliance, including AA insurgents and ethnic minority fighters, launched a joint offensive in October, capturing crucial trade hubs on the Chinese border. Although a China-mediated ceasefire was announced last month by the alliance, it does not apply to areas near the Bangladeshi and Indian borders, where hostilities persist.

Residents in Bangladeshi villages near the border expressed fear that the fighting might spill over into their territory. Villagers reported stray bullets causing injuries, leading to sleepless nights filled with anxiety. Khairul Bashar shared that his uncle was shot in the leg by a stray bullet from Myanmar, emphasizing the pervasive fear in the community.

Rahima Begum, another villager, recounted fleeing her village in Tumbru, highlighting the terrifying experience of gunfire and bombs near their homes. Primary teacher Helal Uddin noted a decline in student attendance near the border, prompting a relocation to Cox’s Bazar for safety and shelter.

MSF, monitoring the situation closely, expressed concern for both sides of the border affected by the violence. Minister Khan assured that Bangladesh had reinforced security along its border and would contact Myanmar to repatriate the guards. He affirmed, "Whoever enters inside our border, we will detain and hand them over to Myanmar." Bangladesh, already home to approximately one million Rohingya refugees displaced in a 2017 military crackdown in Myanmar, faces heightened challenges as border tensions escalate.