Junta launches another airstrike on Maungdaw using 2 jet fighters

Naung Min Thu, Narinjara News, 10 September 2024

The junta forces launched another airstrike on Maungdaw town of Arakan State using two jet fighters at  around 3 pm on 9 September. The navy vessels in Ah Lel Than Kyaw sea also fired artillery shells at the villages.

"The junta is relentlessly bombing Maungdaw with jet fighters. The navy vessels at the mouth of Naf river also fired artillery shells over residential areas," said a villager.

Following the capture of social welfare relief & resettlement office and Bangla monastery (last two outposts under the 5th border guard police battalion-NaKhaKha-5) in Maungdaw  by the Arakan Army (AA) on Sunday morning, the junta soldiers conducted a series of airstrikes.

As only one NaKhaKha-5 battalion remained in Maungdaw,  the AA fighters urged its commander  brigadier general Thurein Tun to raise the white flag and surrender.

“They  cannot defend the NaKhaKha-5 battalion. The battalion is on the verge of collapse. The AA fighters are now surrounding it. The junta soldiers are only conducting airstrikes to protect the battalion, but I don’t think it will be useful” said a military analyst from Maungdaw.

On 9 September  at 5:40 pm, the junta's navy vessels fired artillery shells on  Kaing Gyi (Arakanese) village that destroyed a modular house.

"The  navy vessels in Ah Lel Than Kyaw sea continued firing artillery shells over the Arakanese village. Though a modular house was destroyed, no casualties were reported,” said a resident.

After the junta threatened to conduct airstrikes on the towns & villages (as reported in junta-controlled newspapers on 3 September issue),   they carried out additional airstrikes.

Kaing Gyi (Arakanese) village has more than 90 families, while Kaing Gyi (Mro) village has 130 households with a population of about 900. The 3-mile Thi Ho Aye village is home to 80 displaced households with a population of over 400.

Photograph: Damage in Kin Chaung village in southern Maungdaw following airstrikes. (Old file)