Fresh Clashes in Myanmar Spark Panic Along Bangladesh Border

Late Friday night, heavy gunfire and explosions shook villages on the Myanmar side of the border opposite Whykong union in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar. Locals described it as the most intense exchange of fire they had heard in recent months, triggering widespread fear in the area.

Community leaders in Rohingya camps at Teknaf, citing relatives in Rakhine, said fierce battles erupted between the Arakan Army and Rohingya armed groups. The fighting reportedly began Friday night and continued into the early hours of Saturday. This marks the fourth major clash in the past month, amid signs that Myanmar’s military junta is preparing to retake parts of Rakhine.

According to sources, 400 to 700 Rohingyas from Laldia, a village opposite Jalia Island in Teknaf, have already fled their homes. Many attempted to cross into Bangladesh but were stopped by strict border patrols.

Residents of Whykong union confirmed hearing continuous gunfire from evening until early morning, with particularly heavy firing between 11:00pm and 4:00am. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) officials also acknowledged the gunfire, though they said the parties involved were not immediately clear.

Rohingya community representatives expressed deep concern that renewed violence could once again displace large numbers of people. Mohammad Zubair, chairman of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights, warned that past battles turned entire Rohingya villages into battlegrounds, leaving many dead from both gunfire and airstrikes. “People are fleeing in advance, fearing the same horrors will return,” he said, adding that extortion and harassment by armed groups are also driving families to seek refuge in Bangladesh.

Camp leaders reported that around 300 junta troops had recently arrived in southern Maungdaw by naval transport. On Friday afternoon, they allegedly carried out a drone strike on an Arakan Army position known locally as “BGP Camp-8,” killing several fighters and forcing others to retreat into nearby hills. Following this attack, more than 700 Rohingyas reportedly abandoned their homes in Laldia, hoping to cross the border.

BGB sources confirmed increased patrols along the Teknaf frontier in response to the unrest. However, officials dismissed speculation of an imminent mass influx, blaming certain brokers on both sides of the border for spreading exaggerated claims to exploit desperate people financially.

Clashes between Myanmar’s armed forces and the Arakan Army have been ongoing since early last year. By December, the Arakan Army had captured Maungdaw township and now controls 14 out of 17 townships in Rakhine state. The junta, however, has recently intensified operations to regain lost ground, fueling fears of further displacement and instability along the Bangladesh–Myanmar border.