A border officer was killed at a police station in northern Rakhine State on Tuesday afternoon after a fight erupted among officers and a shootout ensued, locals have told Myanmar Now.
A resident from Nyaung Chaung village in Buthidaung Township said locals saw the officer’s body lying outside at around 7:30pm in the evening, around four hours after gunshots and an explosion were heard from the station.
“I heard they had a fight and started shooting at each other and that the perpetrator was also held at the station,” said the resident, who requested anonymity. “We didn’t learn their names though.”
Another local who lives near the police station corroborated the resident’s account.
“I think they started shooting at each other. We heard a loud bang and apparently a grenade exploded when someone pulled the pin out and tried to put it back in,” he said.
The officer’s body was cremated next to a pond outside the police station at around 2pm on Wednesday, he added. “They cremated the body using firewood and tires and the remains were buried near the pond.”
The police have not issued a statement about the officer’s death.
The station at Nyaung Chaung came under attack by the Arakan Army (AA) in 2019 as fighting raged across northern Rakhine. Four civilians were injured in the clash.
While much of Myanmar has seen surging violence since the coup as guerrilla groups fight the junta’s forces, the situation in Rakhine has been stable since the AA agreed a ceasefire with the military in November last year.
Locals estimate that about 40 police officers are stationed at the Nyaung Chaung station along with 100 soldiers from the 22nd Light Infantry Division, who they say arrived in the village six months ago.
A similar incident was reported on October 6 in Paletwa, just northwest of Buthidaung Township in southern Chin State.
A Paletwa resident said there was a fight between soldiers who were stationed inside a religious building in the town, leading to the death of one soldier. The sound of an explosion came from inside the building and then two rounds of gunfire were heard minutes later, the resident said.
The next morning, locals saw a coffin being carried out of the compound.
