Four people in Min Bya town continue to be hospitalized in a serious condition after soldiers attacked several civilians on the full-moon day, said a resident of the town.

Among them, Ko Tun Aye Naing was identified as suffering from  most critical injuries, and has been moved to the Sittwe general hospital from Min Bya.

Ko Tun Aye Naing is the son of U Tha Tun Aye and Daw Aye Khing Nyo, both of whom are government civil servants from BOC Strand Road in Min Bya.

The three other victims remain unidentified. But one is a soldier who was involved in the attack. The three are hospitalized at the Min Bya hospital, the resident said.

According to a local source, a clash between the army and civilians first took place on the night of 11 November, the day before the full-moon day known as Tan Son Mon La Pyi, after a group of soldiers teased some young girls in Zinar Land Ward in Min Bya.

Due to the nature of the clash, police forces came to the spot and intervened. The police eventually dispersed those involved.

The following day around 9 pm, about 30 soldiers led by the second commander of Light Infantry Battalion 379 based on the outskirts of Min Bya entered downtown in army vehicles to retaliate for the previous day's incident.

The witness said that the soldiers proceeded to beat many innocent people who were walking along the road at the time. Some locals also responded by attacking the soldiers with sticks and stones. Although the police were able to take control of the situation quickly, many people received injuries and 20 people were admitted to hospital for treatment.

Many young people in the town are now hiding in unknown locations after the clash because police are currently interrogating locals, but not soldiers, about the incident, said the resident.