Thousands of Rohingya huddle on Bangladesh border
A drone attack that killed over 200 fleeing Rohingya Muslims near the Bangladesh border on Monday has forced hundreds to return to their hometowns, while thousands are still taking shelter in paddy fields awaiting to cross into neighboring Bangladesh, a rights group said on Sunday.
Despite the dangers, a few hundred Rohingya have ventured into areas controlled by a rebel group, which has been accused of carrying out the deadly drone strike near the Naf River, the natural boundary between Bangladesh and Myanmar.
'Rohingya in Maungdaw are still trying to escape to Bangladesh. Some are fleeing to Arakan Army-controlled areas as they see no other option,' said Nay San Lwin, co-founder of the Free Rohingya Coalition, in a statement to the media.
The attack occurred in Maungdaw township in Myanmar's Rakhine state, which borders Bangladesh. Videos circulating on social media showed bodies scattered across muddy terrain, with their belongings strewn around them.
This latest assault, seen as part of an ongoing campaign by the rebel group against the Rohingya, has heightened fears of increased violence against those trying to flee. The Rohingya have already endured a systematic cleansing operation by Myanmar's military junta.
Thousands of Rohingya had sought refuge in Maungdaw township after neighboring Buthidaung town was captured by rebels in May of this year.
Buthidaung hosts the largest concentration of Rohingya in the region since the Myanmar military's massive wave of violence against the community in 2017.
Approximately 600,000 Rohingya remain in Rakhine state, while over 750,000 fled to Bangladesh following a brutal crackdown by Myanmar forces in August 2017, bringing the total number of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh to over 1.2 million.
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