Retreating junta troops blow up bridge in Gwa Twsp
Myanmar's military regime has blown up Kinpone Bridge, connecting Kinpone Village and Kanthayar Beach in Gwa Township, Arakan State, according to residents.
27 Nov 2024
DMG Newsroom
27 November 2024, Gwa
Myanmar's military regime has blown up Kinpone Bridge, connecting Kinpone Village and Kanthayar Beach in Gwa Township, Arakan State, according to residents.
Junta troops dynamited the bridge on Monday after retreating from Kinpone Village to Kantharyar Beach.
"They blew up the bridge on Monday evening to prevent Arakkha Army (AA) troops from advancing toward the junta forces stationed at Kanthayar," a local said.
Since the second week of November, the regime has deployed artillery along Kantahryar Beach and fortified its positions with more reinforcements and weapons.
Kinpone Bridge, approximately 350 feet long, was part of the road linking Gwa with Thandwe, Taungup, and other parts of Arakan State.
As an AA offensive approaches closer to Gwa, the junta is taking a variety of measures to block potential entry points into the town.
The AA has reported that 28 bridges in Arakan State have been destroyed by Myanmar military airstrikes or were deliberately dynamited since fighting between two sides resumed in November of last year.
"Those acts go beyond the bounds of a military action, and rather amount to destroying the social and economic foundations of the society. Civilians have suffered in every respect due to the junta's demolition of bridges," said a social activist from Arakan State.
Fighting between the junta and the AA continues to intensify in Gwa Township, with recent clashes occurring near Alel Chaung Village, about six miles from the town.
Thousands of residents have been forced from their homes by the fighting in Gwa Township, and many are in need of food and other humanitarian supplies.