Over the past six months, the Rakhine region has been engaged in intense conflict, resulting in the deaths of 319 civilians and widespread destruction of property, said U Khaing Thukha, spokesperson for the United League of Arakan (ULA).
The period from November 13, when gun fighting resumed in Rakhine, to June 8, has seen significant violence and displacement.
In a press conference, U Khaing Thukha summarized the extensive damage inflicted, including the destruction of over 8,500 buildings, among them 19 schools, 9 hospitals, and 61 religious buildings.
13 bridges were also destroyed, disrupting infrastructure in the region. The conflict has also resulted in 1,146 people sustaining injuries from artillery shelling by junta forces, and 452 have been detained, Narinjara reports.
Buthidaung Township has been the most affected area, experiencing the largest number of disruptive incidents. In a recent interview, Arakan Army (AA) commander-in-chief General Twan Mrat Naing disclosed that arson attacks destroyed a significant number of houses and other structures.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) reported that in May alone, junta soldiers killed 256 individuals across Myanmar, with Rakhine recording the highest number of casualties.
In a separate incident, at least 60 people died as Myanmar’s military, involving the navyand air force, attacks Singaung village in Thandwe Township, Rakhine State, according to local residents. This marks the second massacre in Rakhine State in less than two weeks, following the killing of 76 civilians in ByianPhyu village in Sittwe Township, Irrawaddy reports.
The villagers were accused of having connections to the AA, whose troops have reportedly moved into the village. The death toll expected to rise as the attacks continue.