Bandarban, Aug 21 (V7N) — After nearly ten days of relative calm, residents near the Bangladesh–Myanmar border in Naikhongchhari Upazila’s Tumbru and Ghumdhum regions were jolted by renewed gunfire on Tuesday night. Local residents reported hearing continuous shooting from across the border—from approximately 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.—sparking widespread anxiety and fear.
 
Locals in Ghumdhum recalled hearing intense bursts of gunfire accompanied by a loud explosion, which they suspect was the result of mortar fire. "We were terrified when shots rang out around 9:30 p.m., and then a massive blast followed around 2 a.m.," said Mostakim Aziz, a shopkeeper in Tumbru Bazar. Another resident, Mohammad Shafi, estimated that as many as 30–40 rounds were fired in rapid succession, unsettling families across the area.
 
Witnesses believe the sound originated from the Rakhine-side Narikelbāgicha area, where the ethnic Arakan Army (AA) controls two border posts—territories previously seized from Myanmar's military. Based on past incidents, locals suspect these exchanges of fire were between the Arakan Army and rival Rohingya armed groups such as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) or the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO).
 
Lt Col SM Khairul Alam, commander of Bangladesh’s 34th Border Guard (BGB) Battalion, previously stated that prior incidents, such as those on August 10, occurred approximately 300 meters into Myanmar territory and did not impact Bangladesh directly. Nonetheless, the renewed gunfire has intensified existing concerns over border stability and civilian safety.
 
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