Junta families shifted from Buthidaung due to military escalation

All family members belonging to the military personnel from the remaining battalions in Buthidaung township of Rakhine State  have been relocated by the military barges through Maungdaw township.

A resident of Shwe Zar village in Maungdaw informed Narinjara News that those family members were observed being transported to Ka Nyin Chaung economic zone in Maungdaw by 17 military vehicles along the Buthidaung-Maungdaw road on Wednesday morning.

The vehicles carrying those family members were seen stopped at Ka Nyin Chaung jetty while  passing through Shwe Zar bridge in Maungdaw, he added.

Another local resident informed that on 28 March they were transported by boats to military barges from Ka Nyin Chaung jetty.

"I'm not sure where they're being relocated, whether it's Sittwe, Thandwe or Yangon. It's true that family members of military personnel were shifted. I witnessed them being transported via military barges," he stated.

The 15th military operations command (MOC-15) headquarters is located in Buthidaung, along with the following battalions namely  345th light infantry battalion, 352nd light infantry battalion, 353rd light infantry battalion, 535^th light infantry battalion, 551st light infantry battalion, 564th light infantry battalion, 565th light infantry battalion and 552nd light infantry battalion. Furthermore, the western command's 233rd infantry battalion, 234th infantry battalion and 263rd infantry battalion are also stationed in Buthidaung locality.

The Arakan Army (AA) continues launching attacks on junta's military camps in Buthidaung. On 25 March, the AA fighters captured Taung Bazar camp in Buthidaung along with the 552nd battalion (one of the battalions under MOC-15), said an AA statement.

Many Buthidaung residents also reported that on 5 and 6 February, some families of military & police personnel were relocated to Sittwe via military helicopters.

Starting from 5 February, the family members of military personnel from Kyaukphyu township were relocated via cargo ships.

The families of military junta officers from Sittwe and department officials' families were also relocated to Yangon due to the fear of potential clashes. Many private cars, including departmental vehicles, were used to transport them to Yangon via a large cargo ship in the last week of January.