Military Junta Launches Airstrikes on At Least Four Townships in Arakan State

Narinjara News, 8 October 2024

 The terrorist military junta conducted airstrikes on residential areas in Sittwe, Ponnagyun, Taungup, and Maungdaw townships in Arakan State on the evening of October 7 and the early hours of October 8.

On October 8, at about 1:30 am, a resident of Sittwe Township said that five bombs had been dropped by a fighter plane from the junta onto Min Hla village and Wah Bo hamlet in Sittwe Township. 

"They launched two bombs in each of their initial two airstrikes, then two minutes later, they launched a third bomb. The houses trembled as well," he stated.

Significant junta losses resulted from fighting between the Arakan Army (AA) and the junta forces that broke out on August 29 near Min Hla village.

Airstrikes were launched early this morning on Kun Taung, Pan Ni Lar, and Myaung Gyi villages in Sittwe and Ponnagyun townships, a military observer reported. It is yet unknown, though, whether anyone was hurt during these airstrikes.

The villages of Wabo and Minhla in Sittwe, as well as the villages of Pahnila village in Pohnngyun and certain locations in Rathedaung and Pauktaw township, which are located at surrounding areas of Sittwe, the capital of Arakan state, were shelled shortly after the aerial bombardment by the Sittwe Police Battalion No. (12) and the Battalion of the Padalike village base.

He went on to add that up until around three in the evening, they fired heavy weaponry at those townships.

"A large weapon was discharged by the police battalion," he declared.

They fired two shots simultaneously if they fired once. The Padalike brigade then opened fire as well. In all, there were almost twenty firearms. They only opened fire on areas that had previously seen hostilities.

 "They fired at residential communities and accused AA of being there," he claimed.

In a similar vein, at 11:15 p.m. yesterday, airstrikes occurred over Tan Lwe Ywar Ma Town in Taungup Township, resulting in the deaths of thirteen civilians, several injuries, and a number of people reported missing in the wreckage.

"The house close to the barracks near the Ywar Thit market was directly damaged by the explosion. A local neighbor stated, "As far as I know, about fifteen individuals were murdered instantly, and there are still others missing in the wreckage."

According to local sources, fighter jets in Maungdaw Township launched airstrikes on October 7 at approximately 4:00 pm, targeting Hla Phoe Khaung No. 11 territory, which is occupied by the Arakan Army (AA), in the north of the township, and Pyin Phyu near Kha Yae Myaing village in the south of the township.

Two twentysomething males riding motorcycles on the road in Kha Yae Myaing village were instantly murdered, and three other people—two of them women—were seriously injured. Whether there are any casualties at this time in Pyin Phyu, Maungdaw Township, is unknown.

Nonetheless, the most recent airstrikes resulted in about 20 fatalities and several injuries.

In a statement released on October 7, the Arakan Army (AA) said that the fascist terrorist military junta, which has been defeated militarily, is using airstrikes to kill civilians and is committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.

(The images were shot at Tan Lwe Ywar Ma Town in Taungup Township, the site of 13 civilian deaths from junta airstrikes, one of them a child.)