More Myanmar border forces personnel take refuge in Bangladesh

Amid the ongoing conflicts with the Arakan Army (AA), 177 personnel belonging to Myanmar's Border Guard Police (BGP) in northern Maungdaw township of Rakhine State had fled to Bangladesh.

Among them, 29 fled at around 9 am on 11 March and the rest entered Bangladesh by 4 pm.

Those BGP personnel fled amid the conflicts with the AA fighters and sought refuge in Naikhongchhari Upazila in Bandarban district of Bangladesh.

The first batch of  29 BGP personnel entered Bangladesh through the Ashartali border and another 148 crossed via Jamchari border.

Saber Ahmad, a member of ward-8 of Naikhongchhari Sadar Union Parishad, was hospitalized after sustaining  leg injuries from a bullet fired during the ongoing battle inside Myanmar, reported Bangladeshi media outlets.

Last month, 330 BGP personnel fled to Bangladesh because of conflicts in northern Maungdaw locality. Later they were repatriated to Myanmar on 15 February.

The AA fighters  recently seized control of the Myanmar border and now they are striving to dislodge junta forces from other areas, added the media reports.

"The junta forces, who abandoned the Aung Tha Pyay border guard post in northern Maungdaw were engaged in combat with the AA fighters since 4 pm on 10 March. The intense clashes persisted for many hours," stated the AA's 11 March announcement.

The AA fighters also eliminated these columns, which caused the BGP personnel to desert their camp and finally cross the border with Bangladesh.