Military officer and private killed in altercation with AA in Kyauktaw town

22 Feb 2020

Nay Yaung Min and Khin Tharaphy Oo | DMG
22 February, Kyauktaw

A Tatmadaw officer and a private were killed and another “military personnel” was detained by the Arakan Army after an apparent shootout near Kyauktaw town’s Global Treasure Bank branch on Saturday afternoon, according to AA spokesperson Khaing Thukha.

The gunfight broke out after AA soldiers tried to stop three men in plainclothes who they deemed suspicious, said Khaing Thukha, who identified the officer killed as Captain Aung Aung from the military’s No. 424 Supply and Transport Battalion.

“We arrested one military personnel. An officer and a private were killed. We seized two guns and one pistol,” he said.

“Captain Aung Aung was killed on the spot as he resisted with a gun when they were told to stop for inspection. Another was injured and died on the way [to hospital]. We arrested one military personnel,” Khaing Thukha added.

At a news conference in Nay Pyi Taw on February 22, Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tun offered a different narrative, saying a military officer and two privates in civilian clothes were attacked with knives while they were on the way to the bank in Kyauktaw to withdraw money on Friday afternoon. He confirmed that the Tatmadaw officer was killed in the altercation. 

“They were stabbed, as far as I know. The sound of the gun might have come from them resisting for their safety,” Zaw Min Tun said.

Two privates were arrested and the military was investigating the case, he said, adding that regional battalions were instructed to protect, not endanger, the places to which they were deployed.

Following the incident, additional Tatmadaw troops arrived in Kyauktaw town, raising concern among residents, according to local sources.

Light Infantry Division No. 55 was patrolling near the Global Treasure Bank branch in Kyauktaw, said a person who did not reveal their name for security reasons.

“Now, the military force has set up checkpoints on the roads. They questioned about 60 people yesterday. Now, the roads in Kyauktaw are deserted and shops are closed,” said the anonymous source, speaking to DMG on Saturday afternoon.

The Tatmadaw and Arakan Army have engaged in hostilities across several Arakan State townships, including Kyauktaw, in recent months.