Taking the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity, war criminals and colonialists of the Myanmar army have been intensifying their offensive assaults against the Arakan Army across Arakan and Chin states amid the whole world grapples with the spread of COVID-19 and 117 patients are the Coronavirus positive in Myanmar.

The Myanmar Army has been launching aerial bombardments and artillery fire on a daily basis beginning from the first week of April to date. Our Arakan Army in the Unilateral Ceasefire Declaration has inevitably taken decisive defensive actions against the increased offensive attacks of the Myanmar army that disregards the COVID-19 pandemic and New Year Water Festival holidays. Therefore, fierce clashes have been broken out starting at the third week in April.

On 20 April 2020 the Myanmar Army has launched their offensive attack in the use of excessive force towards two strongholds of our Arakan Army. At the same time, the Myanmar troops burned down Kyet-U-Wa village and committed fresh war crimes. They deliberately fired artillery into the Arakanese villages.

1. The continued intense battle occurred for the whole day that the Myanmar Army had launched their offensive attack with 280 troops towards our base in 1 km far away from the South of Hpa Pyo village in Minbya township at 8:52 am on 20 April 2020. It is learnt that the female troops had also engaged in combats due to the shortage of the male fighting forces in the Myanmar Army. The Myanmar Army suffered some losses during their offensive assaults.

2. A WHO car with two WHO employees travelling among other passenger cars that had brought blood sample test tubes of some Coronavirus patients requested the Military post at the Front of Ra-Maung bridge for a Ra-Maung bridge crossing permit at 17:40 pm. The fact that the military post of the Myanmar Army had fired with small guns, two WHO employees were injured when crossing the bridge with a permit. The car fell off the bridge.

We are now trying to transfer those two WHO employees to a secure place after the Arakan Army had found and rescued them in an hour later of that incident and provided them medical treatment. We will keep you updated once we receive detailed information.

3. After the Myanmar Army, based in a mountain hill near Hpa Pyo village, intentionally fired artillery into Htaung-Shey village in Minbya township, artillery shells were exploded in Min village at 11:45 am, in Htaung-Shey village at 13:15 pm and in Myeik-Nar village at 13:30 pm. Ma Than Than Wai, 29 years old, daughter of U Sein Aung, from Myeik-Nar village was killed by the Myanmar Army’s deliberate attacks targeting civilian villages and some innocent villagers were injured.

The injured villagers are as follows:

(a) U Maung Aye Than, 41 years old, (his breast was hit by pieces of artillery shells).

(b) Ma Than Oo Kyi, 20 years old, daughter of U Maung Aye Than, (her whole body was hit by pieces of artillery shells).

(c) Oo San Yee, 40 years old, wife of U Maung Aye Than, (her hands was hit by pieces of artillery shells.)

(d) U Tun Maung, 43 years old, was injured by pieces of artillery shells.

(e) Daw Thein Tin Aye, 48 years old, daughter of U Sein Tun, from Htaung-Shey village, (her eyes was hit by pieces of artillery shells.)

4. A clash has broken out at 16:50 pm after the Myanmar Army had launched an offensive attack towards our garrison on the hill which is located on the eastern bank of Kaladan river about 500 km far away from the east of Paletwa. Due to our decisive defensive actions, the enemy retreated after having suffered heavy losses. Seven enemy soldiers were killed and others were injured.

5. The Myanmar Army torched Kyet-U-Wa village in Paletwa township at 14:35 pm on 20 April 2020. According to initial news, majority of the houses in Kyet-U-Wa village were burned down. In addition, it has come to light that the Myanmar Army had detained three or four villagers of Kyet-U-Wa village.

We will keep you updated once we receive battle news in the previous days and follow-ups today battle news.

Info Desk

Arakan Army