Police and local authorities in Rakhine state’s Kyauktaw township on Monday took statements from family members of villagers allegedly abducted last year by Myanmar military forces, with a military spokesman promising explanations if the army is shown to have been involved, RFA reported.

The 18 men were allegedly taken away in two batches in mid-March, 2020 when soldiers from a Myanmar military infantry unit entered their community in Kyauktaw township amid fighting with the Arakan Army (AA).

Eight of the 18 Kyauktaw villagers were taken from Tin Ma Thit village on March 13, while the other 10 from Tin May Gyi village were arrested by troops on March 16, all on suspicion of having ties to the AA.