Junta’s airstrikes on 5 Arakanese villages kill 3, injure 17 others

Kyaing Hein Lin, Narinjara News, 2 June 2024

The junta forces conducted airstrikes on five villages under three Arakan (Rakhine) townships without any provocation on Saturday and killed three civilians including one minor boy and young woman. At least 17 other villagers were also injured.

The targeted villages  include  Yoe Ta Yoke under  Ponnagyun township, Kyein Khway Maw, Taung Oo Maw, Sin Tet Maw and Thae Khon under Pauktaw.

At around 10 am on 1 June, the junta soldiers conducted airstrikes using Y-12 aircraft on those villages.

The airstrikes killed Maung Kyaw Lwin (aka Daung Daung) (10)  and Daw Mae Ma (a) Daw Aye Nu (43) hailing from Chaung Wa ward of Yoe Ta Yoke village  and Ma Khin Moe Aye (26), who  fled because of conflicts in Pyar Lae Chaung village under Sittwe township and stayed in Yoe Ta Yoke.

Among those injured,  11 individuals hail from Yoe Ta Yoke, 3 from Kyein Khway Maw  and 3 from Sin Tet Maw village.

Among them, U Kaung San (52), his wife Daw Thandar Khaing (48), Maung Hein Win (8), Maung Myo San Aung (18) and Ma Aye Phyu (22) sustained serious injuries.

Daw Thandar Khaing's daughter Ma Su Chey (6), Daw Khin Moe Aye's daughter Ma Hnin Waddy (5), Daw Aye Khaing (54), Daw Hla Than May (54), Daw Mae Ma (aka Daw Aye Nu, 43) and Ma Su Myat Oo (14) were also injured.

Similarly, Ko Oo Than Maung (29), U Kyaw Zan Thar (59) and U Oo Hla Aung (74) from Kyein Khway Maw village also sustained injuries. Ko Oo Than Maung remains  in critical health condition.

Two more children, who fled the conflict in Sittwe locality, and a female school teacher from Sin Tet Maw village were also injured.

Regarding the incident, an Arakanese stated, "These are not military targets. The junta soldiers hold grudges against the civilians and they are firing upon the villagers. It’s unfortunate that the military personnel are targeting them ethnically.”

Some house were also damaged as a result of the airstrikes. As the reports came about junta’s  airstrikes on one  village under Rathedaung township, Narinjara News tried to  

contact  the villagers, but failed due to technical difficulties.