Nine killed as Myanmar junta bombs Rakhine village

Nine were killed due to a bombardment by Myanmar military forces in Nat Taung Maw Village, Thandwe Township, according to local residents.

Six were killed instantly on Saturday, and three others, who were injured, succumbed to their injuries on the way to Thandwe Hospital, reports Irrawaddy.

Eyewitnesses reported that naval vessels at the Sin Gaung Coast Guard base and the Bar Taung base fired artillery rounds at Nat Taung Maw, while some accounts suggested the use of aerial bombing.

Although no direct clashes were occurring in Nat Taung Maw at the time of the shelling, nearby Yeazin Village, located 1.7km away, had been a frequent battleground between regime forces and the Arakan Army (AA) throughout early May.

The AA issued a warning on Monday, advising civilians in Thandwe, Buthidaung, and Maungdaw to construct bomb shelters and evacuate to safer areas to avoid crossfire. International organizations were also urged to relocate.

Approximately 300 residents from Thandwe Township have been displaced, seeking refuge in Yangon and surrounding areas. The AA, having launched a significant offensive in November last year, now controls more than half of Rakhine State’s townships.

Govt staff evacuated from southern towns

The Myanmar military junta is evacuating government staff and moving equipment out of Thandwe and Ngapali towns in southern Rakhine State as clashes with the Arakan Army intensify, residents report.

The evacuation, which began a week ago, follows escalating violence approximately 30 kilometers north of Thandwe. Government sources in Thandwe and Gwa townships confirmed the relocation of office furniture, equipment, and documents, Irrawaddy reports.

A local resident along the Thandwe-Yangon Road said, “Vehicles big and small carrying furniture are going to Yangon daily. Trucks are carrying backhoes. Some of the dump trucks were huge. I have never seen dump trucks of that size before. They are going to Yangon every day.”

The regime is using the southernmost route through the Rakhine Mountain to transport materials, allowing both government and private vehicles to pass through junta checkpoints during daytime, according to local sources.

Civilian casualties are mounting as the military continues to launch airstrikes and shelling in response to battlefield losses.

Source: AFP