Minbya Twsp man killed in landmine blast

“He left his home early to cut down firewood. He stepped on a landmine on a mountain range at around 8 a.m. on July 7. He lost his left leg and bled to death,” said a local resident.

By Admin 08 Jul 2024

A landmine awareness sign is erected in an area controlled by the AA.
A landmine awareness sign is erected in an area controlled by the AA.

DMG Newsroom
8 July 2024, Minbya

A local man from Pharpyo Village, part of Arakan State’s Minbya Township, was reportedly killed in a landmine explosion on Sunday.

Maung Hsan Thein, 26, stepped on the landmine on July 7 while he was cutting down firewood on mountainous terrain near the village.

“He left his home early to cut down firewood. He stepped on a landmine on a mountain range at around 8 a.m. on July 7. He lost his left leg and bled to death,” said a local resident.

Civilian casualties due to landmine blasts are increasingly reported in areas where fighting has occurred in Arakan State, and in locations where regime troops had been stationed in townships now held by the Arakkha Army (AA).

People who depend on the forests for their livelihood are facing many difficulties as the regime is believed to have planted numerous landmines in the township.

“The grassroots like us make a living by farming, collecting vegetables, and cutting down firewood. People suffer from the consequences of the war. We struggle to make ends meet due to the risk of landmines. We have to sacrifice our lives for our livelihood,” said a local woman in Pharpyo Village.