Arakan News Agency | Exclusive
Bangladeshi media reported on Tuesday that the mountainous and forested region between markers 43 and 49 on the border between Arakan state and Bangladesh witnessed intense clashes that lasted six consecutive days between the Arakan Army and armed groups.
The battles reportedly began last Friday evening amidst conflicting reports about the identity of the fighting groups, with some sources indicating the possibility of clashes with the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO).
Eyewitnesses told the “Arakan News Agency” that the clashes occurred on the Arakan side near the town of “Natkshukshari” in the “Bendrobin” area of Bangladesh, while the casualty or loss count is yet unknown.
The battles saw extensive use of heavy weapons, including artillery and mortars, with the echoes of the explosions reaching nearby Bangladeshi villages like “Gumdhum,” “Daushari,” “Chakdala,” and “Sabmara Jhirri,” causing panic among civilians, especially women, children, and the elderly.
In turn, Bangladeshi Border Guard Forces from battalions 11 and 34 reinforced their security measures in the area and began closely monitoring the situation near the town of “Natkshukshari” in anticipation of any field developments that could affect the Bangladeshi side.
The Arakan Army controls the majority of Arakan State after launching a military campaign in November 2023 against the Myanmar Army, during which it succeeded in taking control of 14 out of 17 cities. This conflict has extended its flames to the Rohingya, who have faced violence, forced displacement, and persecution from both sides, having also been subjected to a “genocide” campaign by the Myanmar Army in 2017, which forced nearly a million of them to flee to Bangladesh.
