Narinjara News, 20 March 2025 

Clashes between the allied forces led by the Arakan Army (AA) and junta troops near villages in the Arakan Mountains within Yegyi, Ngathainggyaung, and Lemyethna townships of the Ayeyarwady Region have been escalating each day, driving local inhabitants to evacuate their residences. 

“Clashes have broken out in multiple locations. On March 19, violence erupted in Tonetaw Village, located roughly two miles from Kyarkaik Village, near the 344th Artillery Battalion. Clashes are still happening in Pantawgyi Village," a local resident stated. 

The conflict also extended to Kyar Oung Mountain on the night of March 19, where clashes broke out close to Aungzankwin Village and Kanyintaing Village in the Kwingyi Village Tract of Lemyethna Township. 

As the conflict persists, inhabitants from Aungzankwin, Kwingyi, Setsetyo, Lelkhonelay, Lelkhonegyi, and Chinlel villages are escaping to more secure regions. 

A villager from a community close to the Ngawun River informed Narinjara News, “Refugees from Chinlel and Setsetyo villages have come to my village. The junta is carrying out a military operation in Chinlel and has deployed forces in the area. There are also reports indicating that artillery has been used. 

The junta troops are employing paramotors to bomb the regions surrounding the villages, compelling residents to escape even more.

“Last night, approximately at 7:35 pm, three explosives were released from paramotors. The villagers think the bombs landed between Lelkhonelay and Lelkhonegyi. Numerous villagers have already escaped," the local stated. 

Displaced people from Gwa Township in Arakan State, residing in these areas, are encountering increasingly severe challenges as the conflict continues. 

Individuals displaced from Arakan State who have come to Aungzankwin and Lelkhonegyi villages in the Kwingyi village tract of Lemyethna township are encountering difficulties. Being non-local residents, they are facing difficulties due to the continuous combat in the region where they are taking refuge. While local inhabitants are seeking refuge with their relatives, those displaced from Arakan State are encountering further difficulties due to their non-local status," the resident noted. 

Individuals displaced from Arakan State face the threat of arrest by the junta if they try to go back to their original area. Moreover, fleeing has grown more challenging because of the persistent violence close to the villages where they are presently residing. 

The junta has bolstered the 344th Artillery Battalion on the Ngathainggyaung-Gwa road with hundreds of additional soldiers, mainly conscripts who have undergone military training.