AA attacks BGF outpost in Buthidaung Township

26 Jul 2019

Khaing Roe La and Cha Lu Aung | DMG

26 July, Sittwe

The Arakan Army attacked Nyaung Chaung Border Guard Force outpost in Buthidaung Township early this morning, the Tatmadaw and the AA confirmed.

The spokesperson of the AA Khaing Thukha claimed responsibility for the attack on the BGF’s outpost and said that they attacked the outpost because BGF members and military troops recently oppressed and tortured local residents.

“We did not take over the outpost. We just attacked the outpost as a warning because the actions committed by officers of the outpost are inhumane,” Khiang Thukha said.

Two policemen were injured and sent to Buthidaung for medical treatment, said Colonel Win Zaw Oo from the Western Command.

“The fighting lasted over thirty minutes. But nothing happened in the outpost. Two policemen got injured. Members of the AA were killed during the clash and some left their weapons behind,” he said.

He added that there was no military troops and locals were not tortured or bullied in the outpost.

“The AA always accuse the Tatmadaw of torturing and oppressing local residents,” he responded to the AA’s claim.

The Tatmadaw announced that the AA troop kept on attacking Kardipara Muslim village after the clash at the BGF outpost and injured three women. However, the AA denied that they shot civilians and that their members were killed.

“After we attacked the outpost as a warning to them, we returned to our base of operations. They shot at villages near the outpost. We heard their gunfire in the village from the outpost, three Bengali women and one Arakanese were killed. The civilian casualties are the result of the attack of the Myanmar Army,” Khaing Thukha said.

People from Nyaung Chaung village have fled to safety due to the Tatmadaw’s relentless shooting of artillery shells after the outpost was attacked, said Ma Than Aye from Nyaung Chaung village.

“No one would go outside to assess the situation. The outpost is about 2.02 kilometers from the village. It is reported that one policeman was killed and two others were injured. The Tatmadaw troop launched heavy weapons between 6 a.m. and over 8 a.m., and displaced villagers from their homes. They fled to Gwa Sone village and wards in Buthidaung town. Only elderly people were left in the village,” Ma Than Aye said.

The AA did coordinated attack on four police outposts in Buthidaung Township on 4 January, killed several policemen. Then, the AA attacked Yoetayote police station in Ponnagyun Township in March, killed nine police personnel.

The AA claimed that the attack on police outposts was carried out very often in the region because police force was collaborating with military troops to commit persecution and other coercive tactics against civilians.

Related News : Locals injured during clash in Buthidaung Township