Two civilians killed, one missing in ARSA mine ambush in Maungdaw

By Admin 09 Mar 2026

DMG Newsroom

9 March 2026, Maungdaw

Two local residents were killed and another remains missing after the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) carried out a remote-mine ambush on a trawlargy (hand-tractor) near Wailartaung Village in northern Maungdaw Township, Arakan State.

A local source said that on March 8, shortly after 11 a.m., ARSA members launched a pre-planned mine attack on the vehicle as it was returning from Kyeinchaung Village to Wailartaung Village near the Bangladesh border following a shopping trip.

“The attack happened yesterday at close range on the road leading to Wailartaung Village. The identities of the victims are not yet confirmed, but out of the three people on board, two were killed and one is still missing,” a resident of northern Maungdaw told DMG.

Muslim armed groups, including ARSA, the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO), and the Arakan Rohingya Army (ARA), have reportedly infiltrated northern Arakan State by crossing the Naf River and moving through the Mayu Mountain range along the Bangladesh border. These groups frequently carry out ambush attacks on local travelers.

Reports indicate that clashes often occur as these groups conduct guerrilla attacks on Arakan Army (AA) troops, while also carrying out killings, kidnappings and robberies against civilian travelers.

“These Muslim armed groups often carry out ambushes and remote-control mine attacks. They plant mines in areas where locals store goods and along footpaths. Civilians have been killed or injured after stepping on these mines, creating a climate of fear for the local community,” a woman from Maungdaw said.

Past incidents include an October 22, 2025 ambush in which ARSA opened fire on a vehicle traveling from Cedipyin Village in Rathedaung to Kyaukpandu Village in Maungdaw, killing two women and injuring two men.

Additionally, on October 5, 2025, a mine attack by ARSA between Leikya Khwasone and Thayargon villages left one traveler injured.

Ethnic minority residents in northern Maungdaw have been forced to flee their homes due to persistent threats from ARSA.

“ARSA enters remote villages near forests or sparsely populated areas to demand food supplies and threaten villagers at gunpoint. When villagers report this to the Arakan Army, clearance operations are conducted, but more effective measures are still needed,” a Maungdaw resident said.

According to the Humanitarian and Development Coordination Office (HDCO), attacks by Muslim armed groups in Arakan State between November 2023 and January 2026 have resulted in 162 civilian deaths and 22 injuries. The report also said about 15 people escaped from captivity, while 33 others remain missing.

The HDCO has urged the international community to investigate the actions of these armed groups in northern Maungdaw, stating that their activities do not constitute self-defense but rather bear the hallmarks of “genocide” against civilians.