Several areas of Maungdaw catch fire after junta’s airstrikes

Naung Min Thu / Min Shin Saw, Narinjara News, 1 October 2024

On September 29, the military junta dropped at least 20 bombs on Maungdaw town in Arakan State, causing fire in various wards and villages.

The largest blaze erupted at Mee Sat Gwa Sone, located near the clock tower in ward no 2. The locals also noted that houses in Myoma Ka Nyin Tan, Pan Taw Pyin and Nyaung Chaung also caught fire after the bombing.

Meanwhile, the Arakan Army (AA) is escalating its offensive against the last remaining 5th border guard police battalion (NaKhaKha-5) in the town. After facing heavy casualties, the junta soldiers resorted to bombing on residential areas.

“There are heavy casualties in the NaKhaKha-5 battalion and some soldiers had fled. That is why the junta forces are bombing villages and wards. The fire was first observed in ward no 2 and Myoma Ka Nyin Tan. Later smoke was rising from Myoma Ka Nyin Tan, Shwe Zar, and Wi Ma La villages. In Pan Taw Pyin and Nyaung Chaung, some houses also caught fire,” said a local resident.

“They dropped bombs in the morning hours. The Y-12 aircraft was used for bombing more than 20 times,” he added.

The junta soldiers are desperately defending the NaKhaKha-5 battalion using naval shelling and jet fighters. However, the AA offensive continued.

The soldiers along with the Muslim armed groups tried their best to defend the base.