Teknaf Residents Fear Amid Cross-Border Artillery Barrage

Heavy explosions and gunfire were once again reported along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, affecting Teknaf and Naikhongchhari upazilas in Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban districts. The alarming sounds originated from Myanmar’s Rakhine State, where intense aerial bombardments and artillery shelling were reported throughout Saturday night, causing widespread panic among border communities. Thousands of residents in Teknaf, Ukhiya, and Naikhongchhari’s union areas spent the night in fear as the earth trembled under the violent impact of mortar shells and bombs. Fortunately, there have been no reports of any projectiles crossing into Bangladeshi territory.

According to Sirajul Mostafa, a local councillor from Ward No. 2 of Whykong Union Parishad in Teknaf, explosions began around 11:00 p.m. and continued intermittently until 3:00 a.m. on Sunday. “The mortar shells and bombs caused significant tremors across parts of Whykong Union. Locals were terrified and unable to sleep,” he told Prothom Alo.

Residents in several other border villages, including Palongkhali and Rajapalong (Ukhiya), Whykong Union (Teknaf), and Ghumdhum Union (Naikhongchhari), also reported hearing the loud detonations, prompting many to express their concerns on social media.

Local sources indicate that the Myanmar junta launched a sudden airstrike on the positions of the Arakan Army at around 11:00 p.m., to which the Arakan Army responded with counter-fire. The shelling continued intermittently until dawn. The explosions were particularly visible in Balibazar, approximately 15 kilometres southeast of Border Pillar BRM-18 and around 13 kilometres inside Myanmar from the zero line. This area is known to host the Arakan Army’s headquarters. Opposite Balibazar lies Teknaf’s Whykong and Ukhiya’s Palongkhali Union. The clashes coincide with Myanmar conducting elections for the first time in five years.

Lieutenant Colonel Jasim Uddin, commanding officer of the 64 BGB Battalion at Ukhiya, confirmed that the sounds were audible from across the border, but “no shells or bullets have crossed into Bangladeshi territory.” BGB personnel remain on high alert along the Naf River and surrounding border areas, monitoring the situation closely.

Local residents described the terrifying scene: “The ground shook violently as we heard the artillery and gunfire from across the border. People were panic-stricken, unable to sleep,” said Borhan Uddin, a shopkeeper from Rahmat’s Bill village in Ukhiya.

The conflict involves multiple armed groups, including Myanmar’s state forces and Rakhine insurgents: the Arakan Army (AA), Arakan Salvation Army (ASA), Arakan Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (ARSO), and the Rohingya Nabi Hussein Force. The escalating violence has left border communities on edge, with memories of previous cross-border incidents in December still fresh in residents’ minds.

Summary Table: Teknaf-Naikhongchhari Border Incidents