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An ethnic insurgent military captured a metropolis close to the capital of western Myanmar’s Rakhine state, locals advised Radio Free Asia on Thursday.
The Arakan Military continued its offensive by means of the state by claiming victory in Ponnagyun metropolis, which sits simply 24 kilometers (15 miles) east of capital metropolis, Sittwe.
The insurgent military has captured six townships throughout Rakhine state and one other in neighboring Chin state to the north since breaking a year-long ceasefire in November.
Arakan Military troopers captured Ponnagyun on Monday, the primary metropolis in Sittwe district.
A Sittwe resident who wished to stay nameless for safety causes advised RFA that the close by battle alarmed residents within the metropolis, inflicting them to flee en masse earlier than the military may advance towards the coastal capital.
“For the reason that Arakan Military captured Ponnagyun, we don’t have electrical energy in Sittwe. Many individuals are fleeing as a result of the combating is getting nearer to Sittwe,” he mentioned, including that about 300 individuals are fleeing day by day. “Primarily aged and younger individuals are fleeing.”
Most locals are heading to townships already captured by the Arakan Military, equivalent to Pauktaw, Kyauktaw, Minbya and Mrauk-U, he mentioned. Others are escaping to Yangon by air.
Rakhine state doesn’t have a purposeful railway, and junta-imposed journey bans have made it troublesome for folks to flee by land and sea. Junta troopers primarily based in Sittwe have nonetheless enforced a curfew, residents mentioned, including that indicators of navy preparation are noticeable within the metropolis and countryside because the Arakan Military approaches.
Escalating Battle
Sittwe township is residence to just about 150,000 folks, and residents say half of the township’s inhabitants has left. Nevertheless, RFA has not but been in a position to independently affirm the declare.
Many residents pressured to remain in Sittwe amidst struggle preparations merely can’t afford to go away, they defined.
In keeping with an announcement by the United Nation Workplace for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs launched on Wednesday, the escalating battles have displaced some 148,500 folks since combating started on Nov. 13.
On Feb. 29, junta troops fired a shell right into a crowded market in Sittwe, which killed 12 and critically injured 18 extra.
Residents are additionally feeling the junta’s greedy try for management on different cities in Arakan Military territory.
In Rakhine state’s Minbya township, junta aerial assaults have broken an elementary college and several other homes. Troops dropped explosives on Ann Thar village late at evening on Wednesday, residents mentioned.
An Ann Thar resident advised RFA on Thursday that the one college within the village was fully destroyed.
“A jet dropped 4 200-pound bombs at round 11.40 p.m.,” he mentioned. “The casualties are nonetheless unknown and the telecommunication has been lower off.”
The village was attacked on Feb. 29, when one other jet dropped explosives and broken 4 properties, he added.
RFA contacted Rakhine state’s junta spokesperson Hla Thein for extra data on combating in Sittwe district and Minbya township, however he didn’t reply the cellphone.
Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn.
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