Bangladeshi girl injured by stray bullet amid border clashes in Myanmar

A Bangladeshi girl was injured by a stray bullet during a heavy fighting between the Arakan Army and Rohingya armed groups across the Myanmar border, police said today.

The clashes took place at Totar Dwip on the Myanmar side, opposite Whykong union of Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar, from around 11:00pm last night to 10:00am today with continuous gunfire and explosions reported.

During the fighting, a stray bullet from across the border hit the child.

Cox’s Bazar Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Alok Biswas told The Daily Star this afternoon that the girl was injured and was being taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

“There were initial reports that she had died, but that is not correct,” he said, adding that she was shot in the ear.

In the evening, the girl’s uncle, Showkot, said she was admitted to the ICU of CMCH.

Earlier in the day, Khokon Kanti Rudra, in-charge of Whykong police outpost, had said a 12-year-old girl, identified as Afnan, was killed by a bullet coming from Myanmar. Following that report, locals blocked the Teknaf highway with barricades in protest, residents said.

The girl is the daughter of Mohammad Jasim of the Tesri Bridge area of Whykong. She was reportedly playing in front of her house around 9:40am when she was hit by the bullet, the police outpost in-charge had said earlier.

Attempts to contact Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) officials for comment were unsuccessful, as their mobile phones went unanswered.

Meanwhile, several Rohingyas crossed into Bangladesh due to the clashes along the border, the ASP said.

The police official said BGB has so far handed over around 35 Rohingyas to the police, and they are being questioned.

Sirajul Mostafa, a member of Ward No. 2 of Whykong Union, said sporadic gunfire had been heard across the border over the past two to three days, but the situation deteriorated from around 11:00pm last night.

“People fled their border-adjacent homes due to the sound of gunfire and explosions,” he said, adding that the firing continued until around 10:00am. Fear remains high in the area, and many residents have taken shelter elsewhere.

The story has been updated with a correction.