COX'S BAZAR, July 2: Fresh airstrikes by Myanmar's military in Rakhine State sent shockwaves across the border into Bangladesh on Wednesday night, as powerful explosions and the roar of fighter jets rattled frontier areas of Teknaf, forcing frightened residents to rush out of their homes.
According to local residents, a series of loud explosions began shortly after 9:00pm from Myanmar's Maungdaw Township. The blasts were so intense that houses shook in several border villages, triggering panic among residents, particularly children and the elderly.
According to local residents, the Myanmar junta carried out intermittent airstrikes in and around Maungdaw, an area under the control of the Arakan Army. People living in Shah Porir Dwip, Teknaf Sadar and Sabrang said the loud explosions caused panic, especially among children.
Abul Fayez, a member of the Sabrang Union Parishad, noted that the deafening sounds of the explosions caused the greatest panic among children and the elderly.
The last major tense situation along the border occurred on December 28 last year, when the sounds of clashes between the Arakan Army and the Myanmar military reached the Ukhia-Teknaf border.
Local sources indicate that the Myanmar military's activities had been relatively low over the past few months in the areas of Rakhine controlled by the Arakan Army. However, fresh air strikes were launched in the Buthidaung area on Wednesday morning.
According to initial reports, the air strikes were carried out in Myanmar's Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships.
Lieutenant Colonel Hanifur Rahman Bhuiyan, commanding officer of the 2 Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Battalion, said the clashes took place about 18 kilometres from the Shah Porir Dwip border inside Myanmar.
Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) SM Anik Chowdhury confirmed the airstrikes and said the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Bangladesh Coast Guard are on heightened alert along the border.
The latest strikes come after months of relative calm following heavy fighting between the Myanmar junta and the Arakan Army in Rakhine State, which also shook the Teknaf and Ukhiya border areas last year.
