Six civilians killed by Myanmar military airstrikes in Rakhine

Regime forces have killed at least six civilians and injured more than a dozen others in Rakhine State over the past two days as they step up their air and artillery attacks in townships captured by the Arakan Army (AA). The latest incident occurred early Wednesday morning in Minbya Township, where an aerial assault carried out on the village of Myitna at around 4am left three people dead and eight others severely injured, according to a local man. “One man survived his injuries, but his wife and daughter were both killed. The body of the mother was cut in half, while their 23-year-old daughter was completely blown to pieces,” said the man. A 26-year-old healthcare worker named Swe Swe Tun was also among the dead, he added. Maung Aung Myint, the man whose wife and daughter were both killed, is currently receiving treatment for his injuries, as is his two-year-old grandson. A child injured by the junta airstrike on the village of Myitna in Minbya Township on April 3 (Arakan Princess Media) “There was no fighting in our village. They just dropped bombs on us for no reason. I’d like to ask the international community to put pressure on the regime to stop this wanton killing,” said the man. A similar incident was reported in Myebon Township the previous evening. At around 5pm on Tuesday, an airstrike on the village of Kan Htaung Gyi killed three people, according to a local man. “They came and attacked with bombs two separate times, killing three people and injuring one,” said the man, adding that one of the deceased was identified as 21-year-old Si Thu Myo Aung, while the other two were both middle-aged men. Most residents of Kan Htaung Gyi have since fled the area, he added, noting that there was no obvious reason for the attack. “The village is almost empty now that they have started targeting us, even though there are no AA troops here and there hasn’t been any fighting,” he said. “As a civilian, I want them to save their attacks for where there is actual fighting and stop targeting civilians,” he added. Civilians were also the apparent target of shelling carried out on the village of Maw Doat Gyi in Pauktaw Township at around 11am on Tuesday. Six civilians suffered serious injuries after regime forces based in nearby Sittwe opened fired on the village with heavy artillery, according to a resident of the area. Since launching an offensive against Myanmar’s military in mid-November of last year, the AA has captured eight towns in Rakhine State, as well as Paletwa in southern Chin State. The group says it will continue fighting until it has taken full control of Rakhine State. The fighting has displaced at least 300,000 people, and by mid-February had resulted in at least 111 civilian deaths, according to AA figures released at the time. Since then, civilian casualties have continued to climb as the junta steps up its indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas in retaliation for its losses to the AA. “The Myanmar junta is being nasty because it is losing the war. They have caused so much trouble for civilians and committed many human rights abuses and war crimes,” said Rakhine-based human rights activist Dr. Myat Tun. “This is genocidal killing. They are committing ethnic cleansing of Rakhine people,” he added.

Six civilians killed by Myanmar military airstrikes in Rakhine

The junta has ramped up its air and artillery attacks in parts of the state now under the control of the Arakan Army

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