Narinjara News, November 25,2022

A 4-month-old child injured byartillery shells which landed at a child’s ear-piercing ceremony in a villageof Maungdaw township of Rakhine State has died, and the death toll of thetragedy  has reached 13,local villagers reported.

A family member of another patientat the hospital confirmed to Narinjara that the deceased was 4-month-oldMaung Saung Wai, who died on the evening of November 22 whilereceivingtreatment at Maungdaw Hospital.

“He died in Maungdawon November 22. The child was only 4 months old at the most. The bodyof thelittle boy was buried at Maungdaw Myoma Cemetery on November 23 ataround 11:30 AM.

The parents went back to thevillage after the funeral”, he said. The body of the little boy was buried atMaungdaw Myoma Cemetery on November 23 at around 11:30 am.

On the morningof November 16, while a child’s ear-piercing ceremony wasbeing held in Jeitchaung village, artilleryshells fired by the Kyein Chaung-based Border Guard Forces (BGF) 7th Battaliondirectly hit the village and exploded, killing 11 andinjuring 24.

In addition to the child who passed awayrecently, another one of the injured died on November 18, bringing the total number of casualties to 13.

Three of the injured are inserious condition and are still receiving treatment at Maungdaw Hospital, thefather of one of the patients told Narinjara.

“There is one who is receiving treatment at Maungdaw Hospital.The other two are receiving regular checkups at the hospital whilestaying in 3-Mile Monastery. Others who have recovered from theirinjuries have returned to the village.” he said.

Locals and the Arakan Army (AA)claimed that the Border Guard Forces (BGF) 7th Battalion shelled Jeitchaung village onpurpose.

The Military Council did not admitthat the shelling that killed innocent people was their handiwork andalleged that as an act committed by AA.