Junta conducts Maungdaw air raids as township residents lose telecoms access

By DMG 31 Aug 2022

DMG Newsroom
31 August 2022, Maungdaw

The Myanmar military on Wednesday carried out air raids against Arakan Army (AA) outposts along the Mt. Wai Lar range in northern Maungdaw Township, Arakan State, according to former state lawmaker U Maung Ohn, who previously represented the township.

“The situation is bad in northern Maungdaw. I heard junta helicopters attacked along Mt. Wai Lar this morning. Residents from some villages have fled,” he said.

The military has carried out aerial attacks targeting positions in the proximity of both Mt. Wai Lar and Mt. Letpan Taw since August 27, after junta troops and the AA clashed near Khamaung Seik village in northern Maungdaw Township on August 26, according to one local resident.

“I heard loud explosions. [Junta gunships] fired along Mt. Wai Lar,” said the resident.

DMG was unable to contact junta spokesman Major-General Zaw Min Tun and Arakan State Security and Border Affairs Minister Colonel Kyaw Thura for comment.

Meanwhile, several villages in northern Maungdaw Township have lost access to phone and mobile internet services, according to locals, with those outages reportedly related to fuel shortages.

A resident of Thittone Nar Kwasone village who was in Maungdaw town said: “I think around 20 villages have been disconnected. I heard that three telecoms masts linked to those villages have run out of fuel. Previously, [company employees] came once a month to refill fuel. It might have been difficult for them as the regime has blocked off roads, and clashes are also taking place. It is also possible that those telecom masts were damaged in junta air raids.”

Myanmar’s military regime has blocked off the Maungdaw-Angumaw road since August 13, following its proximitous fighting with the Arakan Army (AA).

A former Arakan State lawmaker for Maungdaw Township, U Maung Ohn, told DMG that he has not been able to contact residents from those villages.

“It might create a lot of hardship for locals there. I heard some villagers have fled the fighting. I don’t know about their situation and where they are now, as I can’t contact them. I heard there were aerial attacks this morning in northern Maungdaw. So, we are worried about their safety,” he said. Junta helicopters dropped bombs near Khamaung Seik village at around 8 a.m. on Wednesday, he added.

Locals in northern Maungdaw mainly use SIM cards from the military-run MPT network because telecom services provided by other operators rarely work properly there.

A resident from Yay Nauk Ngar Thar village said: “We have to climb trees or go to other villages to make phone calls. Locals are concerned that something bad will happen as both phone lines and mobile internet services have been cut off.”