A 15-year-old Rohingya teenager, Abdul Hakim, was critically injured after a landmine, reportedly planted by the Myanmar insurgent group Arakan Army, exploded at the Ukhiya border in Cox’s Bazar. The blast severed his right ankle.

The incident occurred at approximately 1:00 pm on Sunday at the zero point of the Naf River along the Balukhali border in Palongkhali union. Abdul Hakim is the son of Mohammad Ibrahim and a resident of Block-A at Rohingya Camp-19 in Ukhiya.

Lt Col Md Zahirul Islam, commander of BGB’s 64 Battalion, citing local sources, stated that the explosion occurred while the teenager was returning to the shore after fishing in the Naf River. In addition to losing his ankle, Hakim sustained severe injuries to various parts of his body.

Following the blast, locals rescued him and initially admitted him to the MSF Hospital in Kutupalong. As his condition deteriorated, he was later transferred to Cox’s Bazar District Sadar Hospital for advanced treatment.

Last Thursday, another Rohingya youth, Mohammad Shahidul Islam (25), lost his leg in a similar landmine blast at the Anjuman Para border in the same union. The recurring explosions in the border areas have sparked widespread panic among the local population.