An artillery shell fired by the Junta forces exploded in a residential ward of Sittwe Township on the night of March 9th, killing 5 and injuring at least 10 others.
"I have just come back from the hospital. Five were killed instantly, and more than ten others sustained injuries, including about five children. A carer shared that her brother's family, both parents, tragically died on the spot, leaving their two children severely injured.
It was truly heartbreaking to see them”, a female caregiver in Sittwe General Hospital said.
On March 9th, at approximately 11:00 pm, an artillery shell deliberately fired by the Junta's police battalion exploded in the Aung Mingalar Muslim ward in Sittwe.
"It is very clear that the Junta is deliberately stoking ethnic and religious tensions in Rakhine State. The substantial presence of its troops in Sittwe, with military bases and naval ships, points to the Junta’s involvement in the incident. If there are any doubts, involving international weapons experts will uncover the truth”, a Sittwe-based politician said.
A night-time curfew was enforced in Sittwe, and during this time, when people refrained from going outside, three military vehicles entered the area where the artillery shell had exploded, transporting the wounded individuals to Sittwe Hospital, while residents noted that the deceased were later taken from the hospital in two ambulances.
A female resident voiced profound concern, highlighting the distressing situation arising from the civilian massacre caused by the Junta forces' use of powerful artillery shells targeting residential wards in urban areas.
"At first I mistook the location, thinking it was Kathea village where the artillery shell landed. It actually fell in Aung Mingalar, near Kathea village. With this being the second fatality, residents are increasingly anxious and fearful. We're unsure of what may unfold next”, she told Narinjara.
Narinjara attempted to reach out to Rakhine State Security and Border Affairs Minister Colonel Kyaw Thura and Rakhine State Council Spokesperson U Hla Thein regarding the news, but their calls went unanswered.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) Myanmar mission issued a statement on March 4th, reporting that an artillery shell detonated near the Korean port bazaar in Sittwe Township at 8:10 am on February 29th, resulting in the deaths of at least 21 innocent civilians and injuring over 30 others.
Residents asserted that the shooting was a deliberate assault by a Junta’s naval vessel, intentionally targeting the crowded bazaar.
As the Junta encounters setbacks in the military conflicts in Rakhine State, it has escalated its targeting of civilians, intensifying airstrikes and artillery shelling on residential houses, markets, schools, hospitals, and clinics in towns and villages on a daily basis.
