Villagers flee as fighting continues in Mrauk-U

05 March 2020
Villagers flee as fighting continues in Mrauk-U
(File) Rakhine ethnic people, who fled from conflict areas, gather at the Dam Mar Yar Ma Monastery temporary camp in Dyi NyaWaddy Ward, Sittwe, Rakhine State, Myanmar, 29 December 2019. Photo: Nyunt Win/EPA

Fighting in war-torn Rakhine state on Thursday drove residents and students from villages in Mrauk-U township, RFA reported.

Clashes ensued in the township’s Kyauktwin Gone village following a mine blast targeting government soldiers who are battling the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic Rakhine force that seeks greater autonomy in the state, villagers said.

Some mortar shells from the fighting fell into Kyauktwin Gone village, prompting residents to immediately hide, while those from Poephyu Kyun and nearby Myayeik Kyun villages fled.