Artillery shells hit 2 Ann villages, kill 4 civilians, injure 7 others

Min Shin Saw, Narinjara News, 22 October 2024

At least four civilians were killed and seven others injured as artillery shells hit two villages under  Ann township of Arakan State, where the intense fighting continues.

The victims include three individuals from Laung Sat village and one from Nga Let Kya village. On the other hand, the injured individuals comprise five from Laung Sat village and two from Nga Let Kya village.

The deceased from Laung Sat village are  identified as U Aung Thein (75), U Nyo (60) and Ko Phyo Min Thu (17). The injured individuals include Daw Tin Nu (70), Daw Soe Soe (46), Ma Chit Htet Wai (14), Daw Hnin Ei Phyu (39) and U Tin Thein (58).

The deceased from Nga Let Kya village is identified as U Thein Win (54), while the identities of two injured villagers remain unknown.

"At around 2:30 pm, the artillery shells unexpectedly struck the villages. Both the villages are close to each other. The soldiers from western command retaliated against the Arakan Army (AA) offensive. Due to the close proximity of houses, many residents were unable to escape. In Laung Sat village, three people were killed instantly," said a local villager.

He added that the injured individuals are now receiving treatment at nearby medical centres.

"As the fighting is fierce, we hear the sound of warplanes and airstrikes. The noise is powerful enough to shake our houses. The civilians are so frightened that they have nowhere to go for safety," he asserted.

The AA fighters are aggressively launching their offensives against the junta battalions in Ann locality, while the junta forces are resisting with a large number of soldiers.