Thandwe residents fear for safety amid continued junta airstrikes

By Admin 10 Feb 2026

DMG Newsroom

10 February 2026, Thandwe

Residents of Thandwe Township in Arakan State are increasingly concerned for their safety as Myanmar’s military regime continues to carry out frequent airstrikes and heavy artillery attacks from naval warships.

The Arakan Army (AA) currently controls Thandwe Township, while the military regime has repeatedly targeted civilian-populated areas with aerial bombardments.

A junta fighter jet bombed Ward 3 in Thandwe town at around 2 p.m. on February 8, injuring two residents—identified as U Thet Aung, 50, and U Aung Than Tin, 43—and destroying nine houses.

Following the attack, some residents have fled to safer locations, saying they are unable to remain in the town.

“As the military regime frequently carries out airstrikes, some people no longer dare to stay in town and have moved to rural areas. Residents near the recent blast site are also staying elsewhere. We hear the sound of heavy artillery almost every day,” said a 30-year-old local man.

The military regime also bombed Thandwe town on December 29 and 31, 2025, killing nine residents, injuring 17 others, and destroying six houses, including heritage homes.

A displaced woman was killed when the regime targeted Yatshae Village in Thandwe Township on Christmas Day, December 25.

As airstrikes and naval bombardments targeting coastal towns and villages continue, safety concerns among local residents are escalating.

“The military regime is targeting civilians with these airstrikes to frighten people into leaving the town and to increase their suffering. They are doing this to create fear by implying that residents are being punished for supporting the Arakan Army,” said another Thandwe resident.

Due to the military regime’s blockade of travel routes, residents in Thandwe are facing severe hardships, including disrupted commodity flows, soaring prices, and major challenges in livelihoods, education, and healthcare.

The military regime has continued airstrikes and drone attacks on townships controlled by the Arakan Army across Arakan State, including Thandwe, resulting in a growing number of civilian casualties.

According to data compiled by DMG, at least 105 civilians were killed and 146 others were injured by the military regime’s heavy artillery and airstrikes in Thandwe Township between May 2024 and February 2026.