Arakan News Agency
Bangladesh has put its border guards on alert after violence erupted in Myanmar’s Arakan state amid concern over a new influx of refugees from the Rohingya.
Lieutenant Colonel Arif al-Islam of the Bangladeshi border guards said the soldiers turned a boat carrying 146 Rohingya Muslims who were trying to cross into Bangladesh via the Naf River.
“We have called on the troops to prevent the possible influx of Rohingya after the violence in Myanmar,” Arif al-Islam told dpa by telephone from Teknaf, southern Bangladesh.
According to official statistics, more than 75,000 Rohingya Muslims crossed into Bangladesh, while Myanmar security forces launched an anti-insurgency campaign in October following a militant attack on security sites in Arakan state.
On the other hand, at least 12 Myanmar police officers and 15 armed Rohingya rebels were killed after rebels launched coordinated attacks on Thursday night on 24 security sites in the conflict-torn western province of Arakan.
According to a government statement released early Friday, a force of 150 Rohingya rebels attacked positions in Maungdaw, north of Arakan, around 1 am, using hand-made explosives. The statement said the fighting was continuing.
The violence came a day after a panel led by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan issued a series of recommendations advising state adviser Aung San Suu Kyi on how the government was responding to mounting tensions in the region.
More than a million Rohingya people live in Arakan and have been persecuted for decades, including restrictions on their freedom of movement.
