As many as 179 personnel of Myanmar’s Border Guard Police, or BGP, have fled across the border into Bangladesh in the Chakdhola area of Bandarban’s Naikhongchhari amid heavy fighting with the armed rebels.

Md Shariful Islam, the spokesman for the Bangladesh Border Guard, said 29 BGP personnel came into Bangladesh near the Jamchari BOP under the supervision of the BGB Naikhongchhari-11 Battalion on Monday afternoon.

The 150 others entered Bangladesh later, until 8pm, he said.

They came in from Myanmar’s Angthapaya camp, the BGB public relations officer said.

Naikhongchhari Sadar Union Council Chairman Nurul Absar said he heard of ‘some Myanmar soldiers’ crossing the border into Bangladesh around noon on Monday.

Though the area falls under the jurisdiction of his union, it was difficult to communicate due to disruptions in the mobile network.

The BGB is not allowing the public to enter the area.

A school teacher in the border area said, on condition of anonymity, that they had seen some Myanmar BGP personnel surrounded in the Nurul Alam Company Tea Garden area near the 45/18 border pillar.

However, they said it was unclear how many members of Myanmar’s border security force were at the location.

Bangladesh sent back 330 Myanmar citizens, including 302 BGP personnel, their family members, two army soldiers, 18 immigration officers and four other civilians, after they had crossed the border amid the fighting.

Shellings, shootings and attacks from Myanmar have killed at least three people and injured several others in Bangladesh in the recent spate of fighting on the other side of the border.

On Monday, a member of Naikhongchhari Sadar Union Council was injured when a bullet from the other side of the border hit him in the waist.

The injured, Saber Ahmed, was talking to locals during the incident, said Nuhrul Absar, chairman of the union council.

Saber was admitted to Cox’s Bazar General Hospital.

Comments from BGB or the local administration on the incident were not available.