Departmental employees flee as fighting approaches Ann

Min Shin Saw, Narinjara News, 11 October 2024

Many departmental employees in Ann district-level town of Arakan State where the junta’s western command is located start fleeing fearing a potential clash against the Arakan Army (AA) fighters. However, the junta soldiers and police personnel remain in their places.

A local resident informed that soon after the western command evacuated the junta soldiers’ families to the mainland on 8 October in 20 trucks, the departmental staff began leaving the town.

"The fighting with the AA is coming close to the town. As the families of junta soldiers were evacuated to the mainland, the departmental staff are also fleeing now," added the resident.

The fleeing employees include the departmental staff belonging to the municipal, fire, general administration, immigration, education, and electricity.

"Recently, a municipal staff member and a general administration official were arrested by the junta forces. They are not local Arakanese people and hence they have no idea about  escape routes," stated the resident.

Mostly, the non-Arakanese departmental staff fled to the mainland and other safer places. Even some police personnel are also leaving Ann town

Following the  capture of Mel Taung tactical operation command, an important position for the western command in Ann locality, on 6 October the junta forces began evacuating their family members with an aim to  defend the probable AA offensives.

Now even the pedestrians are not allowed to move in Ann town by the soldiers as a measure of defence against the AA fighters apprehended aggression.