During gun fire on the evening of Monday in Mrauk-U, at least eight civilians were injured, one house caught fire and some artillery shells slammed into some buildings.

Local residents accused the Tatmadaw for attacking without any provocation from the Arakan Army (AA).

“Villagers fled from the firing. They couldn’t sleep at night. They stayed in a monastery and hid because of the indiscriminate attacks. We did not see which regiment was firing,” said one of the residents from Ywar Haung Taw who requested not to give out his name for security reasons.

On that day, eight trucks from the Tatmadaw entered into the Mrauk-U town in the afternoon and started shooting from Htammariz ward, an official of the Mrauk-U Youth Association (MUYA).

“Around 13 army trucks entered Mrauk-U at about 7 p.m and started shooting from the Htammariz ward to the place near the bridge without stopping. Every house besides the road was hit by shells. They shot with small and heavy weapons. They entered from Sin Cha Seik, firing from their truck along the road,” he said.

The Tatmadaw denied the accusations by local people and Colonel Win Zaw Oo from the Western Command said that the attack was a legitimate exchange of gun fire because the AA side instigated the shootout.

The Tatmadaw troops did a counter attack when a battalion in Mrauk-U was attacked by the AA from the city wall, Ywar Haung Taw village and other places, Colonel Win Zaw Oo said.

“Since our headquarters was attacked by the AA insurgents, the troops outside the battalion patrolling for security entered the town. At that time, the AA troops attack them from houses at the entrance of the town. They attack them at ancient religious sites and the corner of the roads. That’s why our troop returned fire. We never open fire without a reason,” he said.

The spokesperson of the AA Khaing Thukha denied the accusation of the Tatmadaw side.

“We did not do what the AA accused. Since the death toll from their side during the fighting in villages is so high the AA entered the town area and provoked people with the intention to hate us,” he said.

The AA and three parties from the Northern Alliances released a statement that they condemned the Tatmadaw’s nonstop attacks on Mrauk-U Town, villagers and pagodas.