(Photo: The villagers werehiding in the jungle after fierce fighting between AA and Junta forces neartheir village Khamong Sit, northern part of Maungdaw Township on 26 August,2022)

Narinjara News, 27 August 2022

At least 10 people, including Mro ethnic persons from Kha Mong Sit and Min Khamong villages in northern partof Maungdaw township of Rakhine State,were arrested and taken away by the junta forces last night.

However, 3 of them escaped with the help of dark night, said one of the fled villagers while talking toNarinjara News.

The arrestees are often used as human shields in the locality, where the fierce fighting between the Burmeseforces and Arakan Army members aregoing on.

The arrested villagers are identified as U Hla Maung Tha (57), U Thein Hla Aung (50), U Nam Tha Aung (71) andU Maung Khin Hla (40) hailing fromMin Kha Moung village and U Aung Tha Chay (57), U Ko Phyo (35) and another 28 years old person fromKhamong Sit village.

Five of them are Mro tribals and the other two are Burmese nationals.

"Out of the arrested ten villagers, three were asked to go to the front of the convoy. Other sevenpersons were asked to stand between thesoldiers one by one. Those three persons in the front escaped taking advantage of the dark night,”informed one villager.

The column, consisting of about 35 soldiers, went to thefighting area on 26 Augustat around 8 pm and took away the detained villages using human shields.

A resident of Khamong Sit village, who has been hiding in the forest, expressedconcern that the lives of those arrested may be in danger.

"They (arrested seven persons) have not returned yet. The concerned families as well as other villagers areworried about them," he added.

It is reported that AA members have been targeting the military bases near Khamong Sit village since 2:30 pmon Friday.

Locals informed that both the armed forces fought for nearly 6 hours till 8:30 pm yesterday. The fightingbroke out again at  2:50 am.

The northern part of Maungdaw township and Paletwa township of Chin State are presently witnessing fiercefighting between government forcesand AA members as an informal ceasefire collapsed in July last.