October 6, 2022
Artillery shelling [by military council troops] in Minbya and Rathedaung Townships in Arakan State on October 5 wounded a woman and damaged some houses, locals said.
An artillery shell landed and exploded at 8:30 pm on October 5, in Kyan Tike village in Minbya Township, hitting a 48-year-old woman named Daw Sein Aye Nu in her left arm while she was sleeping in her house, a local resident told Development Media Group (DMG).
“The shell was fired by the military council troops under the Light Infantry Division 541 from Nga Sa Yine hill at around 8:30 pm. They fired five artillery shells and the last one hit the woman while she was sleeping. The artillery shell fell on the fence next to her house, and the shrapnel hit her. The wound was three finger joints deep. She also has a small hole in her neck,” the resident said.
In addition, there have been reports of houses damaged by artillery fire in Rathedaung Township in recent days. Also on Oct. 4 and 5, artillery shells hit Kyauk Yan Thar Si village, destroying six houses, a resident said.
“On October 4, five artillery shells hit the village and destroyed four houses. Yesterday, two shells hit and destroyed two more houses. The shells penetrated the roof and hit the middle wall of the house. The shells also broke glazed clay jars in the house. They also fired heavy weapons today,” he said.
Because of the frequent explosions of heavy weapons, residents of the village have fled to safer places fearing that their lives are in danger, said a resident of the village.
“The residents have fled the village because heavy weapons are fired at the village. There are only six men left in the village. Yesterday, they fired about 30 times throughout the day. At 1 am at night they came and shelled the village with [a fighter jet]. They also shelled the village with heavy weapons from their strategic hill. We did not dare to sleep all night,” he said.
In light of the residents’ statements, calls were made to Arakan State’s Minister of Security and Border Affairs, Colonel Kyaw Thura, and to the junta’s spokesman, Major General Zaw Min Tun, but went unanswered.
Currently, tensions remain high between military council troops and the Arakan Army (AA) in Paletwa Township in Chin State, as well as in Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Rahedaung, Ponnagyun, Mrauk-U and Minbya Townships in Rakhine State.
Sent by Aung Htein (DMG)