Dozens of civilians confirmed killed in junta airstrikes near Ngapali

A series of airstrikes carried out by Myanmar’s military last week killed at least 64 people in the village of Sin Gaung in Rakhine State’s Thandwe Township, Myanmar Now has learned. Initial reports of heavy civilian casualties from the attacks, which took place on June 4 and 5, could not be confirmed at the time due to a communications blackout in the area. However, local residents say they have since been able to recover 64 bodies in the village, and said the final death toll could be higher. “There are still bodies among the destroyed houses. That’s why we estimate the total could be as high as 100,” said Khin Maung, a local man whose name has been changed for security reasons. The incident is the worst mass killing by the regime in Rakhine State since the start of fighting between its forces and the Arakha Army (AA)—previously called the Arakan Army—in mid-November of last year. The AA now controls more than half of the state’s 17 townships, as well as Paletwa in neighbouring Chin State. In recent months, the conflict has moved both north towards the Bangladesh border and south towards Thandwe, where Ngapali Beach, one of Myanmar’s most popular tourist attractions, is located. Sin Gaung is about 15 miles north of the beach along the coast, or 30 miles by road. The airstrikes on Sin Gaung began days after the outbreak of major clashes near Gawt, a village about six miles to the south. Residents of Sin Gaung could hear gunfire on the other side of the Thandwe River, which lies between the two villages, but did not believe they were in any immediate danger, according to local sources. The aftermath of junta airstrikes on Sin Gaung, a village in Rakhine State’s Thandwe Township, on June 4 and 5 (Dwayarwad Community Base News Agency) Khin Maung, who lives in a neighbouring village, said he was on his way to Sin Gaung on June 4 when he heard the sound of an approaching plane followed by several explosions. It was only after he saw some villagers fleeing that he realised that Sin Gaung had come under attack from a junta airstrike, he said. Despite the bombing, however, many residents chose not to leave the village because they didn’t think there would be any further attacks, he added. But later that day, between 4 and 5pm, the planes returned and dropped more bombs. And on the following morning, residents who went back to their homes after fleeing the night before were hit by yet another raid, resulting in a high number of casualties. While there were some early reports that large numbers of civilians had died in the attacks, it was not until Monday of this week that the AA released a statement saying that at least 14 civilians had been killed and another 24 injured. Up to 60 homes were also destroyed by the airstrikes, according to the statement. This came after the regime acknowledged last Friday that there had been civilian casualties in Sin Gaung. However, it accused the AA of being responsible for the deadly attacks. In another statement released on Tuesday, the AA said that the regime was continuing to use indiscriminate force to prevent further losses of territory in areas where fighting is currently at it most intense. “The Myanmar military is grappling with losses in Maungdaw, Thandwe, and Ann townships, and has ramped up its airstrikes, drone attacks, and naval and inland artillery fire on civilian villages, where public hospitals, markets, schools, and monasteries are located,” the group said in its statement. It also noted that bombs had been dropped on villages in Pauktaw Township, near the state capital Sittwe, early Tuesday morning, injuring at least 10 civilians and damaging several houses.

Dozens of civilians confirmed killed in junta airstrikes near Ngapali

The attacks, which took place early last week, are so far the worst confirmed mass killing by regime forces in Rakhine State since late last year

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