Air raid in Westmyanmar demands at least 40 fatalities

Air raid in Westmyanmar demands at least 40 fatalities

An air raid of the Myanmarische Army in a village that is under the control of an armed ethnic minority has cost about 40 people their lives and injured at least 20 more, reported representatives of the group and a local aid organization on Thursday. Due to the bomb attack, numerous houses ignited and burned down.

Details about attack in Kyauk ni maw

The attack took place on Wednesday in the village of Kyauk Ni Maw on the island of Ramree, which is controlled by the ethnic Arakan Army in the western Rakhine state. The army has not yet announced an attack in this area.

difficult communication Situation

The situation in the village could not be confirmed independently, since access to the Internet and to the mobile network in the region is largely interrupted.

background of violence in Myanmar

Myanmar is shaken by persistent violence that began in February 2021 when the army dropped the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. After the violent approach of the army against peaceful demonstrations, many opponents of the military rule took up the weapon, and large parts of the country are now involved in conflicts.

statements of the Arakan Army

Khaing Thukha, a spokesman for the Arakan Army, told the Associated Press news agency that a fighter jet bombed the village on Wednesday afternoon, whereby 40 civilians were killed and more than 20 others were injured. "All deaths were civilians. There are women and children among the dead and injuries," continued Thukha. A fire triggered by the air raid spread over the village and destroyed more than 500 houses.

ambiguities about the motives

It remains unclear why the village was attacked. The head of a local aid organization and independent media also reported on the air raid and the number of losses.

military government increases air strikes

The military government has increased its air raids on armed pro-democratic groups, which are summarized as "folk defense forces", as well as armed ethnic minorities. These groups have been fighting for more autonomy for decades and sometimes performing joint operations against the army.

strategic control of the Arakan Army

Ramree, about 340 kilometers northwest of Yangoon, the largest city in the country, was conquered by the Arakan Army in March last year. This is the military wing of Rakhine ethnic minority that strives to autonomy from Myanmar's central government. She is also a member of an alliance of armed ethnic groups that recently achieved strategic territory in the northeast of the country on the border with China

injured and support for those affected

A head of the aid organization, which supports the residents of the village, told AP that at least 41 people killed and 50 others were violated by the air raid that targeted the village's market. The leader, who was outside the city at the time of the attack, wanted to remain anonymous for security reasons. He was informed about the events of members of his group who were in the village and were faced with a lack of medication to treat the injured.

reporting and humanitarian crisis in Rakhine

news agencies from Rakhine, including Arakan Princess Media, also reported on the attack and published photos that show how people try to extinguish the fires in their houses. Rakhine, which used to be called Arakan, was the scene of a brutal counter-insurgence surgery of the army in 2017, which caused around 740,000 Rohingya-Moslems to flee across the border to Bangladesh.