Man injured by artillery fire in Kyauktaw Township

By Aung Htein 18 Feb 2020

Aung Htein | DMG
February 18, Kyauktaw

A man from Tinma village in Arakan State’s Kyauktaw Township was hit and injured by a stray artillery shell at about 1 p.m. on February 18, locals said.

An anonymous resident said that while U Maung Thein Hla, 60, was on his way to the river near the village to bathe, the artillery shell coming from the direction of nearby Khapaw village landed near him and exploded.

“He was on his way to the Kaladan riverbank to take a bath. The shell blew up at the river bank and a piece of the shell hit the upper left part of his chest,” he said.

In addition to the chest wound, U Maung Thein Hla’s jaw was also injured in the blast and he is being treated at Tinma village.

Fighting between the Tatmadaw and Arakan Army (AA) along a mountain range between Tinnma and Khapaw villages began on February 5 and continued intermittently through Tuesday.

On February 12, Tinma resident Daw Oo Kyawt Sein was gravely injured when she was hit by an artillery shell in the village.

The Tatmadaw-AA conflict has resulted in more than 130 civilians killed and over 360 injured by artillery shells, landmines and gunfire, according to the Arakan Students’ Union (Universities – Yangon).