A 21-year-old man, identified by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) as a member of the armed group Arakan Army, surrendered with an AK-47 rifle at the Balukhali border in Ukhiya’s Palongkhali Union of Cox’s Bazar on Monday morning.
The man, who introduced himself as Jibon Tonchongya, reportedly surrendered to BGB members around 9am with an AK-47 rifle, two magazines, and 52 rounds of ammunition.
BGB said Jibon fled from a camp in Maungdaw Township of Myanmar’s Rakhine State and entered Bangladesh. He claimed his home is in Gorjbonia village of Naikhongchhari upazila in Bandarban.
Lt Col Mohammad Jasim Uddin, commander of BGB Ukhiya Battalion 64, told the media that the man claimed to be a Bangladeshi citizen, but his identity and citizenship are being verified. During interrogation, he stated that he fled the camp due to personal security risks.
According to his claim, at least 300 more Arakan Army members have fled from the same camp, and some of them could infiltrate into Bangladesh at any time, the BGB official said.
BGB said the man, along with the arms and ammunition, was taken into custody, and preparations were underway to hand him over to Ukhiya Police Station. Surveillance was tightened along the border to prevent infiltration.
Meanwhile, local sources said intermittent gunfire was heard around 10pm on Sunday across the border in Rakhine State near the Ghumdhum border in Naikhongchhari. The clash was suspected to have been between the Arakan Army and either the Arakan Salvation Army (ARSA) or the Arakan Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (ARSO).
Lt Col SM Khairul Alam, commander of BGB Cox’s Bazar Battalion 34, said the gunfire occurred about 300 metres from the zero line, but no bullets entered Bangladesh territory.