Bandarban, Oct 27 (V7N) — Panic spread among residents along the Naikhongchhari border in Bandarban after two powerful explosions were heard within an hour near the Bangladesh-Myanmar frontier on Monday afternoon.

According to local sources, the first explosion was heard around 1:30 p.m. from inside Myanmar, between border pillars 43 and 44. About an hour later, around 3:30 p.m., another much stronger blast echoed from the same direction, shaking the ground in nearby Bangladeshi villages.

Residents of the Jamchhari area, Mohammad Imam Hossain and Zubair, said the blasts were so loud that they felt as if they had occurred very close by. “Both explosions were extremely powerful. People were terrified and some ran toward safer places."

Md. Ayub, a madrasa teacher from Cherar Math area, said, “When the second explosion occurred around 3:30 p.m., our doors and windows rattled violently. It felt like the explosion happened just across the border.”

The exact cause of the explosions remains unclear. Locals suspect that ongoing clashes between Myanmar’s armed ethnic rebel groups could be behind the blasts, possibly involving heavy weapons. Others believe that landmines, possibly planted by the Arakan Army near the border, might have detonated.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) officials have yet to issue a statement on the incident. However, security along the Naikhongchhari border has reportedly been tightened amid growing tensions inside Myanmar’s Rakhine State, where fighting between junta forces and rebel groups has intensified in recent weeks.

Authorities in Bandarban continue to monitor the situation closely as residents remain on edge, fearing further explosions near the frontier.

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