AA evacuates Muslims trapped by fighting in Maungdaw Twsp

By Admin 11 Aug 2024

DMG Newsroom
11 August 2024, Maungdaw

The Arakkha Army (AA) has reportedly evacuated thousands of local people who were being used as human shields by the regime and armed Muslim militiamen from Maungdaw and nearby villages.

The AA evacuated more than 12,500 local people in Maungdaw on August 7 and 9, according to a reliable source.

“The AA has rescued all people trapped by fighting in downtown Maungdaw. There are no local people in downtown Maungdaw and the AA fighters have entered downtown Maungdaw,” the source added.

While the AA was evacuating the Maungdaw residents, a Hindu woman was killed and another man was reportedly injured by gunfire.

The AA has sent the rescued Maungdaw residents to safer locations and provided them with necessary shelters, food and healthcare services.

“The AA’s attack on Maungdaw was different from other towns in Arakan State. Maungdaw is home to different ethnic people. The AA also had to consider what would happen to the locals during the fighting. That’s why the battle for control of Maungdaw took time,” said a social activist in Maungdaw.

Hostilities between the AA and military have occurred in and around Maungdaw for almost two months, since June 16, and the ethnic armed group continues to seek to take control of the border town.

The regime is responding to the AA’s attacks with aerial and artillery support in an attempt to prevent Maungdaw from being seized.