Bomb kills two in Rakhine State’s Pauktaw Township

Two people died and four were injured in Rakhine State’s Pauktaw Township on Wednesday after a group of friends accidentally detonated a bomb they had discovered, according to sources. The incident occurred at around 3pm in the village of Gyin Dway, where the young friends were reportedly tampering with the unexploded ordnance when it went off, the sources said. Two of the victims, 20-year-old Chak Chay and 18-year-old Ko Ko Naing, died instantly, while three other teenage boys and a woman in her 20s were injured, according to a Pauktaw local. Another person living in the area told Myanmar Now that the Arakan Army (AA), which controls the township, has warned local civilians to stay away from any explosive devices that they find. “The AA has been warning and educating people not to touch or handle unexploded ordnance. However, young people are still picking up and messing around with these war remnants. Parents and elders need to explain the danger to them clearly to make them understand,” the local said. Meanwhile, there have also been reports of civilian casualties from junta attacks in the state over the past week. On February 8, an airstrike on the town of Kyeintali in southern Rakhine State’s Gwa Township left one person dead and five others injured, according to a local resident. The deceased was identified as Min Sett Paing, 19. The injured included two children aged five and 11, the source said. Another airstrike on the town four days later also injured at least one civilian and destroyed two houses, he added. Airstrikes were also reported in Kyauktaw Township, in northern Rakhine State, on February 9. A bomb dropped on the village of Nan Tet killed one woman in her 20s and injured four others, sources there said. On the same day, junta soldiers opened fire on a group of people near the village of Shauk Kaung in Kyaukphyu Township, killing one and injuring two others, according to reports. While there are no major battles currently taking place in Rakhine State, tensions remain high as junta camps in the state capital Sittwe continue to come under heavy artillery fire. Since launching a major offensive against Myanmar’s military in November 2013, the AA has captured all but three of Rakhine State’s 17 townships. Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, and Manaung are the only townships still under junta control.

Bomb kills two in Rakhine State’s Pauktaw Township

The incident has led to renewed calls for local civilians in the war-torn state to avoid tampering with unexploded ordnance

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