Fighting continues in war-torn Pauktaw

By Admin 11 Dec 2023

DMG Newsroom
11 December 2023, Pauktaw

It has been nearly one month since fighting broke out between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA) in Arakan State’s Pauktaw town on November 16 following the AA’s seizure of the central police station in Pauktaw.

The two sides have been fighting daily to gain control of the town, with the regime conducting joint army, navy and air force operations.

The AA has been trying to rescue civilians held hostage by the regime or trapped in Pauktaw town.

A statement released by the Brotherhood Alliance, of which the AA is a member, said: “We continue to clear remaining junta soldiers in Pauktaw town, and were able to kill some junta troops that held civilians hostage or used them as human shields.”

Hundreds of residents were held hostage by the regime and hundreds more were also trapped in the town. The AA has said it rescued and extracted more than 200 residents from Pauktaw, releasing video files of them as evidence.

A resident who fled Pauktaw said: “Yesterday, the navy fired artillery. [Junta units] from Sittwe also fired shells. We also heard gunshots in the town.”

Tens of thousands of people from Pauktaw town and some 20 villages on the outskirts of Pauktaw have evacuated their homes due to the fighting and the junta’s artillery strikes.

A displaced woman from Pauktaw town said: “We have left behind our property and our lives are also at risk. But we are happy to make sacrifices in revolting against the unlawful government that has oppressed our state and people for generations.”

Houses and Pauktaw town’s central market were damaged by fires triggered by artillery strikes. Details about the extent of the damage are still unknown.

Political analysts say the AA and the regime are competing for control of Pauktaw town because of its strategic position for water transport.

“The town is crucial for both sides. Pauktaw is located just one-hour drive from Sittwe after crossing the Kaladan River,” said a social activist from Sittwe.

The regime has blockaded roads and waterways in Arakan State, and has also restricted delivery of humanitarian aid into the state, resulting in food and medicine shortages.