1 killed as 5 Myanmar mortar shells explode in Bandarban

A Rohingya youth was killed and at least eight others were injured in mortar shells blast fired from Myanmar in Naikhongchhari upazila of Bandarban on Friday night. 

The incident took place at No Man’s Land in Ghonarpara on the Tumbru border of Ghumdhum union in the upazila around 8:30pm.

The deceased was identified as Mohammad Iqbal, 28, son of Monir Ahmed. 

Dil Mohammad, the leader of a Rohingya group living at No Man’s Land, said intense gunshots and mortar shell explosions had been heard from the Myanmar side since Friday evening. Around 8:30pm, one was killed and eight others were injured after three mortar shells exploded in a Rohingya camp and two other shells in a nearby area on the Ghumdum border. 

Four of the injured were admitted to the MSF Hospital in Kutupalong, said Another Rohingya leader Arif. 

Sheikh Mohammad Ali, Officer-in-charge of Ukhiya Police Station, said being informed, we sent a police team to the hospital, but the area is under the Armed Police Battalion (APBn).

Earlier, a Bangladeshi youth was injured after a land mine exploded inside Myanmar territory along the Naikhongchhari border area in Bandarban on Friday.

Aungthwaing Tangchangya, 22, from Tumbru headman para of Ghumdum Union Parishad was injured near pillar 35 and 100 metre inside Myanmar border.

Tangchangya lost his left leg in the explosion. He was first admitted to Kutupalong MSF Hospital and then shifted to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital.

Ghumdhum Union Parishad Chairman Jahangir Aziz said Tangchangya went near the border area to bring his cow, which might have triggered the explosion.

It is the latest in a series of incidents where shells have exploded in Bangladesh, but the first to cause a fatality.