In March, some damaged houses were found in Ponnagyun town / Photo: Social Media
Mizzima
Myanmar junta forces from Sittwe initiated artillery shelling towards the Ponnagyun town area on the morning of 8 March, around 10:00 am, according to local sources. The town, situated in Rakhine State, had previously been seized by the Arakan Army (AA).
Ponnagyun came under offensive AA attacks starting from 21 February. Subsequently, the AA persisted with their offensive operations, aiming to capture the last remaining camp of LIB-550, ultimately gaining full control of the town on 4 March.
A resident of Sittwe said, “The junta from Sittwe town launched artillery for half an hour starting from 10 am. We even witnessed smoke rising due to the shelling.”
Due to the ongoing security concerns and shelling by junta, residents have been barred from entering Ponnagyun by the AA.
Residents mentioned that following the AA’s attack and subsequent capture of the town, Military Council soldiers were cleared from Ponnagyun.
However, during the conflict, the Military Council retaliated with airstrikes and artillery shelling, causing more than 70 percent of the town to sustain damage, as reported by a local resident of Ponnagyun.
Currently, the Military Council, which previously had to relinquish control of the town of Ponnagyun, disclosed that on 6 March, the army conducted artillery shelling twice in the morning.
Ponnagyun is situated approximately 20 miles from Sittwe, the prime location of the Military Council.
UN OCHA Myanmar reported that In Rakhine, ongoing armed clashes involving airstrikes and artillery shelling have intensified in many townships with affected communities becoming increasingly stressed and the AA moving closer to the state capital, Sittwe. Since late February, there has been an increase in shelling from the Myanmar Armed Forces bases in Sittwe Town. On 29 February a stray shell landed in the downtown market in Sittwe and is believed to have killed at least 21 civilians and injured more than 30 others.
An estimated 148,500 people have been newly displaced in Rakhine State and Paletwa in Chin State since the previous informal ceasefire broke on 13 November 2023. Nationwide, more than 2.7 million people are now displaced, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA Myanmar) statement on 6 March.
