Two people were killed and three were injured—which included children—after Tatmadaw soldiers attacked a village during fighting with the Arakan Army (AA) in northern Burma's Rakhine State, according to witnesses.
Residents of Chein Hkali, located in Rathedaung Township, say a woman and a man were killed. A woman and two children under five were injured during the assault on the village.
An eyewitness, who didn't want their name used, says Burma Armed shelled and fired bullets at them. Before the soldiers shot at Chein Hkali, the source says residents could hear the voices of two of the assailants."The villagers were terrified and hid. Some ran away."
Khin Saw Wai, a parliamentarian for Rathedaung Township, told NMG she heard about the attack. A Tatmadaw column opened fire as soldiers entered the village, killing two residents, she says. Three people were detained by soldiers. Elders unable to run away were trapped in their homes.
Before the fighting happened near Chein Hkali from July 12-13, three people were injured after a Tatmadaw column attacked Dong Paik, located forty-five minutes away, says the parliamentarian. Khin Saw Wai explained that clashes between the Burma Army and AA intensified after the first attack.
Nearly 1,000 residents of the two villages sought refuge in an internally displaced persons camp in Sittwe, while others took shelter from the fighting in villages closer to their homes.
Since early July, multiple clashes between Tatmadaw and AA have been breaking out in Rathedaung, Myaybon, Ponnagyun, Rathedaung, Mrauk-U, and Minbya townships, all located in Rakhine State.
NMG contacted Tatmadaw's True News Information Team for comment, but no-one responded.
The AA's information department said the fighting started after Tatmadaw IB-233, based in Buthidaung and Border Police Force attacked them northwest of Koe Tan Kauk village in Rathedaung Township.
Zaw Zaw Tun, secretary of Rakhine Ethnics Congress (REC), told NMG since the fighting started in Rakhine State over 180 were killed during clashes, with over 580 detained by security forces.
Recently, a Ponnagyun resident was killed and another injured, he says. In addition, two villagers were injured in Myaybon and another in Aung Bala village in Rathedaung Township on July 11.
