September 5th, 2022
Fierce fighting reportedly continues between the Arakan Army (AA) and the military council as the junta bombs the area surrounding the border guard camp at Milepost-40 in northern Maungdaw Township in Rakhine State on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border with five helicopters.
The military council attacked the Milepost-40 border guard camp near Kha Maung Seik and Wai Lar Taung villages with five helicopters at around 9 a.m. on September 3rd, where fierce fighting broke out between AA and junta forces, a local resident told Development Media Group (DMG).
“The junta has been shooting with five helicopters since this morning. We have heard loud sounds of heavy weapons and explosions. They mainly hit areas along Wai Lar Taung village. We could see it from the monastery,” he said.
In addition, the military council has attacked the Milepost-40 camp with helicopters almost every day for the past few days, but stopped its airstrikes around 11 a.m., said a resident of Taman Thar village.
“This morning they fired heavy weapons with helicopters. Even from the village we could hear very loud gunfire. Now it is quiet. But villagers are scared and worried,” the resident said.
The junta reportedly carried out the airstrikes on the area around the border camp in response to the Kin Seik incident, in which 19 members of the junta’s border guard members were killed and several weapons and ammunition were seized by the AA, according to AA on August 31st.
In response, the military council-run Myanmar Alin newspaper reported that security forces continue to do whatever is necessary to retake the border guard camp the previous day.
The newspaper also stated that the AA attacked the Milepost-40 border guard camp on the Myanmar-Bangladesh border with a superior force on the morning of August 31st, ignoring the call for peace while efforts are being made to achieve a lasting peace.
As the border guard police station near Milepost-40 has been captured by AA, the military is counterattacking with helicopters to retake it. This has forced residents of Kha Maung Seik, Min Khamaung, Tarain and Mingyi villages run for safety, said U Maung Ohn, former MP of Maungdaw Township.
“The current situation in Maungdaw is terrible. Because the military council is attacking with helicopters almost every day. It is getting worse and worse these days. Now the residents of the surrounding villages have fled to safety. If the fighting continues like this, it could become difficult for local people to make a living,” said U Maung Ohn.
Military tensions are high between the military council and AA. Fierce fighting between the two sides has been taking place in Maungdaw and Paletwa townships for nearly a month since early August, AA spokesman U Khaing Thukha told DMG.
Sent by DMG