Amid the ongoing conflict between junta forces and the rebel Arakan Army, 13 more Myanmar Border Guard Police (BGP) personnel have taken refuge in Bangladesh.
They crossed the border of Cox’s Bazar today (Wednesday), said Lt Colonel Md Mohiuddin Ahmed, commanding officer of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Battalion 2 in Teknaf.
BGB personnel detained them and took them under their custody, he added.
With the 13 defectors, a total of 123 Myanmar BGP men are now under BGB’s safe custody, according to Mohiuddin.
They will be handed over to the Myanmar authorities soon, the commander said.
The Myanmar troops started fleeing to Bangladesh in phases from February 4 as the fighting escalated on the other side of the Bangladesh border at Bandarban and Cox’s Bazar.
As many as 752 Myanmar nationals, mostly BGP members who had entered Bangladesh after fleeing the conflict in Rakhine State, returned to their country in three phases on February 15, April 25 and June 9.
