Aung Kywe Nyein, Narinjara News, 13 February 2025

A leftover bomb detonated as local teenagers were fiddling with it in Pauktaw Township, Arakan State, resulting in two fatalities and injuring four more individuals, including a girl.

The individuals who passed away were named Ko Nay Myo Win (also referred to as Chet Chey, 20) and Ko Ko Naing (18), both hailing from Gyin Dway Village in Pauktaw Township.

The harmed individuals are Maung Nyien Soe Lin (15), Maung Hein Soe Naing (15), Maung Min Soe Tun (17), and Ma Myat Aye Khaing (20).

Local residents reported that the explosion took place at approximately 3:00 pm on February 12. Maung Min Soe Tun and his friends were fiddling with an abandoned bomb under a tree in Gyin Dway Village when it exploded. He discovered the bomb in Sun Ye Village, Minbya Township, and brought it back to his village.

A community member remarked, "They aren't little kids who fail to grasp danger. They have reached an age where they understand the dangers. I'm unsure what led them to temper with the bomb."

As a result of the explosion, Ko Nay Myo Win and Ko Ko Naing lost their lives immediately.

Maung Nyein Soe Lin suffered serious injuries, whereas the other three incurred milder wounds.

The wounded are undergoing medical care, and the deceased will be laid to rest at the village cemetery at approximately 3:00 pm on February 13.

On February 10, a leftover bomb detonated after being tempered with at a tea shop in Shwe Zar Gone Nar (Muslim) village, Maungdaw Township, resulting in the death of one Muslim youth and wounding four others.

At approximately noon on February 9, 6-year-old Maung Nay Soe Thu from Thein Thaung Ward in Taungup Town sustained injuries when a leftover bomb he was handling dropped from his grasp and detonated.

On the afternoon of February 3, an explosion took place in Taing Kyoe Village, Gwa Township, while two children were fiddling with an unexploded bomb.

The event led to the fatalities of a 5-year-old boy, a 20-year-old woman, and her father, Ko Gwa To, who was 40 years old. A different child and an adult sustained injuries in the blast.

Likewise, on January 18, a child from Kin Pon village close to Kan Thar Yar beach in Gwa Township died after tempering with an unexploded bomb.

In Arakan State townships experiencing heavy conflicts, the number of casualties from landmines and explosive remnants of war continues to increase every day.

Consequently, community members stress the immediate necessity for educational programs regarding the risks posed by explosive remnants of war and landmines.

In the meantime, the Arakan Army (AA) is performing landmine removal, awareness initiatives, distributing safety leaflets, and placing warning signs in regions it governs.