The junta's air force reportedly conducted airstrikes on a house celebrating Kahtain religious festival in northern Maungdaw township of Arakan State on the night of 21 October. They dropped a 500-pound bomb on Hpar Wut Chaung village at around 1:50 am, which killed five individuals.
The attack may have been triggered by false information given to the junta, said a military observer based in the region.
"When the festival was organized many people gathered there. It seems that someone supporting the junta provided wrong information claiming that the Arakan Army (AA) was involved in the function. As a result, the house hosting the festival was targeted by airstrikes. The bomb struck the house directly and killed a donor named Daw Hla Hla Aye and four others," added the observer.
The victims include Daw Hla Hla Aye (58) hailing from Hpar Wut Chaung village, Ma Thidar (26), an internally displaced woman from Maungdaw, her nine-month-pregnant sister named Ma Aye Aye Aung (24), Ko Maung Maung Thein (20) and Ko Nay Zaw Oo.
A resident of Hpar Wut Chaung village expressed anguish over the airstrikes. The AA had earlier issued a warning urging people to avoid gathering during Thadingyut and Tazaungdaing festivals.
"The junta soldiers may have carried out airstrikes and harmed the people. Probably they thought the AA was behind the gathering and so targeted the house during night hours,” asserted the resident.
Among the victims Ma Thidar and her nine-month-pregnant sister Ma Aye Aye Aung fled the conflict areas of Maungdaw to arrive in Hpar Wut Chaung village. Their father U Kyaw Sein Aung also went missing since he was captured by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) rebels.
"Their father was captured by ARSA rebels from Maungdaw and he is still missing. His two daughters were killed when the junta's air force conducted airstrikes with a fighter jet. His wife and son-in-law were seriously injured and are currently under treatment," said a family member.
U Kyaw Sein Aung's wife Daw Aye Tin (52) and their son-in-law Maung Toe Min Hein (26) sustained serious injuries in the airstrikes.
Mentionable is that U Kyaw Sein Aung was arrested by ARSA rebels and military-trained Muslim militants from Bo Hmue village under Maungdaw township on 23 July. Till now the family has no contact with him.
