Junta arrests 60 residents including women in Gwa

Salai Moe Aung, Narinjara News, 17 August 2024

The junta forces arrested more than 60 local residents, including women, from three villages under  Gwa township in Arakan State  amid intensified fighting after the  Arakan Army (AA) offensive. The arrests took place in  Kular Pyin, Zee Kone and Taing Kyoe villages.

On the afternoon of 15 August, the soldiers from 563rd light infantry battalion, a junta unit in the area, entered these villages and detained the residents without showing any reason.

“I don’t know why they were arrested. A group of  soldiers came into Kular Pyin village and arrested many residents. They also arrested some people from Zee Kone and Taing Kyoe villages,” said a local resident. The family members are worried about their whereabouts till now.

Mentionable is that soon after  the AA fighters launched an offensive against the junta soldiers stationed at the Kyeintali town entry point on 10 August by 3 pm that was followed by a fierce fighting.

A large number of civilians were also detained following the escalation of military tension. On 11 August, the AA fighters targeted the police station and fortified junta military camps in Kyeintali. The fighting continued till 10  am of 12 August.

The junta's army, navy and air force personnel used  artillery shelling heavily, but they suffered casualties and finally retreated on 14 August.

After their retreat too, the junta soldiers continued to fire artillery shells over  Kyeintali town from Tha Yet Taung pagoda near Kyway Chai village till the afternoon of 15 August.

Gwa is located in the southernmost part of Arakan State and adjacent to the Ayeyarwady region. It’s home to the junta's 562nd and 563rd light infantry battalions.