NarinjaraNews, August 1, 2024

Junta troops and militia members forcibly entered and robbedthe Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS) office in Bohmu Village  in MaungdawTownship’s Myoma Kanyintan Ward in Arakan (Rakhine) State, on 25 July 2024.

A security guard from Maungdaw Township told Narinjara thataround 70 armed people broke into the Red Cross office, vandalised it andlooted medicine and office supplies.

He said: “The intruders were junta troops and affiliatedmilitiamen. I'm not sure why they did it. Maybe they needed the medicine, butthey also took other items from the office. There were about 70 of them intotal.”

The staff at the Red Cross Office had already been evacuatedin June when fighting got close to downtown Maungdaw and the Arakan Army (AA)launched an offensive against the Maungdaw Town-based Military OperationsCommand No. 5 (MOC-5).

Bhomu Village remains under junta control. Due to ongoingfighting, non governmental organisation (NGO) and international nongovernmental organisation (INGO) offices in the area have closed, and staffhave been evacuated for their own safety.

A displaced person from Buthidaung, also in Arakan (Rakhine)State, said that junta troops had behaved in a similar way in Buthidaung,vandalising and burning NGO and INGO offices.

He said: “They [the junta] did the same thing in Maungdaw asthey did in Buthidaung, destroying NGO and INGO offices. If they can't bestopped, they will destroy everything. I hope the AA can take over Maungdawsoon.”

The AA attack on MOC-5 in Maungdaw Town is ongoing and thereis fierce fighting between them and the junta troops supported by fighters fromthe Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO), and the Arakan Rohingya SalvationArmy (ARSA) who are defending MOC-5.

The junta has also been hitting the AA attackers withairstrikes and artillery fire from navy vessels in the NAF River.

Most Maungdaw residents fled when the fighting began. Only afew have stayed behind to guard their homes.