Two men wounded by artillery shell shrapnel in Kyauktaw Twsp

By DMG 19 Oct 2022

DMG Newsroom
19 October 2022, Kyauktaw 

Two residents were injured and some homes were damaged by artillery shell shrapnel in Peinhnechaung and Wethmine villages, on the east bank of the Kaladan River in Arakan State’s Kyauktaw Township, on Wednesday afternoon. 

The two victims have been identified as Ko Maung Kyaw Than, 24, and Ko Kyaw Maung, 26, both from Wethmine Village. The two men were wounded by a shell fired by junta soldiers at a security checkpoint near the Kispanadi Bridge, a villager said. 

“An artillery shell fell near a rice mill in the village, and two local men sitting near the rice mill were injured by shrapnel,” the villager explained. 

Some homes in Peinhnechaung Village, near the Kispanadi Bridge, were damaged by heavy weapons and small arm fires on Wednesday and there remain some unexploded shells in the village, a resident said. 

“I first heard an explosion near the bridge, but I didn’t know exactly whether it was a landmine blast or not,” he told DMG. “Junta soldiers at the security checkpoint near the bridge randomly opened heavy weapons and small arms fire into the village. At least three homes in the village were damaged by junta shooting. There are some unexploded artillery shells in the village. No one remained in the village and they fled to safer locations.” 

Residents of Peinhnechaung Village reportedly sought refuge in nearby villages such as Kyauktan and Thawinkaing. 

DMG contacted Arakan State Minister for Security and Border Affairs Colonel Kyaw Thura and regime spokesman Major-General Zaw Min Tun regarding the matter, but they could not be reached. 

A Muslim woman was reportedly killed by a shelling in Paikthel Village, Kyauktaw Township, on October 17.