Arakan News Agency
Two armed groups reported that at least 9 civilians were killed and 20 others injured due to strikes carried out by the Myanmar army on two villages in the Ayeyarwady region, adjacent to Arakan state in western Myanmar.
The “People’s Liberation Front” and the “Ayeyarwady People’s Defense Forces” stated in a joint report that the Myanmar army destroyed a large number of homes in the two villages during the period from May 15 to June 30, resulting in the deaths and injuries of dozens aged between 9 and 85 years.
The “Narinjara News” network clarified on Wednesday that the Myanmar army launched its attacks on civilians from Artillery Base 344 in “Ayeyarwady” against several villages amid its losses in battles against armed groups. The attacks featured the use of aircraft, drones, and heavy weapons.
The Ayeyarwady region witnesses a high presence of displaced individuals from Arakan state, particularly the Rohingya, who fled the state due to the fighting between the Myanmar army and the Arakan Army (separatists). Displaced persons struggle to earn enough to survive, face constant security threats, and often undergo searches and arrests by Myanmar army forces.
Myanmar has been gripped by turmoil since the military coup in February 2021, which ignited conflict and civil war, turning civilians into victims. The conflict has led to the displacement of approximately 3.5 million people, the death, injury, and arrest of tens of thousands, while the United Nations estimates that around 20 million people, nearly a third of the population, will need humanitarian aid by 2025.