Myanmar has reportedly been laying landmines across a section of its border with Bangladesh, said two government sources in Dhaka, adding that the purpose may have been to prevent the return of Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence, Reuters reported.
However, the sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that Bangladesh will on Wednesday formally lodge a protest against the laying of land mines so close to the border.
Following an army crackdown on Rohingya insurgents in August, at least 400 people and about 125,000 Muslim-minority Rohingyas have fled to neighboring Bangladesh – leading to what many have said is a major humanitarian crisis, Reuters reported.
The Myanmar sources said: “They are putting the landmines in their territory along the barbed-wire fence.”
“Our forces have also seen three to four groups working near the barbed wire fence, putting something into the ground,” one of the sources said. “We then confirmed with our informers that they were laying land mines.”
Already it appears that there have been casualties after a boy had his left leg blown off near a border crossing. He was taken to Bangladesh for treatment, reported Reuters. Manzurul Hassan Khan, a Bangladesh border guard officer, told Reuters that two explosions were heard in the area on Monday.
Myanmar army has not commented on the blasts near the border. Zaw Htay, the spokesman for Myanmar’s State Councilor, Aung San Suu Kyi, was not immediately available for comment.
