Mizzima
The junta has increased airstrikes and artillery attacks on civilians’ homes in areas controlled by the Arakan Army (AA), according to an AA statement.
On 11 June 2024, at least four junta airstrikes hit the AA-controlled Pauktaw Township killing one civilian and seriously injuring ten others, according to a preliminary casualty list drawn up by the AA who said casualty numbers may rise as more information becomes available.
At least 13 bombs exploded in Ward 1 and the villages of Thawonchaung, Manawthiri and Lattpanpyar in Pauktaw Township when they were targeted by a junta Y-12 aircraft and multiple drone strikes between 9:00 am and 9:35 am on 11 June, according to the AA.
Its statement said: “The Military Council, which has suffered in Rakhine State, is targeting cities and communities controlled by the Arakan Army, as well as civilian areas in Maungdaw, Ann, and Thandwe, including nearby villages, towns, hospitals, markets, schools, and monasteries.”
Earlier this month, on 4 and 5 June, the junta bombed Singaung Village, in the AA-controlled township of Thandwe, killing 14 civilians, including a one-year-old child. The attack destroyed the whole village and caused the entire population to flee.
In January, the AA announced that Pauktaw Town was fully under its control. Despite this, many areas of Pauktaw Township, which is partially under AA control, have been destroyed by junta airstrikes and artillery fire, causing most residents to flee their homes.
Nearly 200,000 people lived in over 50 village tracts in Pauktaw Township. Those left are facing severe communication challenges and Mizzima has been unable to speak to anyone in Pauktaw Township to verify the AA information, due to phone lines not working.
Clashes between the AA and the junta are ongoing in Thandwe and Maungdaw townships and also in Anne Township which is where the junta’s Western Regional Command is based.
Since the resurgence of fighting in November 2023, the Arakan Army has captured ten towns in Rakhine and Chin states.
