Tatmadaw and AA exchange accusations about planting landmines

By DMG 20 Apr 2019

Khaing Roe La and Cha Lu Aung/ DMG

April 20, Sittwe

The Tatmadaw and AA exchanged accusations about the discovery of four remote controlled landmines on Ahngumaw- Maungdaw road on April 18.

A Tatmadaw column discovered four remote controlled landmines planted by the AA on Maungdaw-Ahngumaw road near Ahngumaw village in Rathedaung Township, and destroyed them for the safety of the public, the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services released a statement on April 19.

In response to this statement, the AA’s spokesperson Khaing Thukha told the DMG that the AA did not conduct any exercises or operations near the village on that day and the Myanmar Army planted and destroyed the landmines with the pretext of blaming the AA for the action.

“Our members did not plant landmines and no AA troops were near that area. We have heard that the Myanmar Army plant mines themselves only to destroy them and then blame their adversaries. Locals said that three mines exploded,” Khaing Thukha said.

He added that locals need to be vigilant for possible heavy weapon fire from the Tatmadaw at villages near Ahngumaw village following discovered mines.

The DMG contacted Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun from the Tatmadaw True News Information Team about the discovery of landmines, he said: “The Tatmadaw column discovered four planted mines on the Ahngumaw-Maundgaw road yesterday. So, they detonated them using a systematic method. These mines are similar to the mines planted by the AA on roads in Mrauk-U and Kyauktaw.”

The AA planted mines on roads to attack security forces and convoys, they planted explosives 12 times on roads in Rakhine State including the Yangon-Sittwe road since January this year and Tatmadaw columns discovered and defused or destroyed 39 mines, the statement said.