More than 40 civilians killed in Burma Army attack on rebel positions in Rakhine

MADRID Jan. 9 (EUROPA PRESS) –

More than 40 civilians have been killed, including several children, in a new attack carried out this Thursday by the Burma Army against positions of the Arakan Army (AA) rebels on the island of Ramree, in the state of Rakhine, located in the west of the country.

The bombings, which have been concentrated in the Kyauknimaw area, have also left at least twenty people injured and 500 homes destroyed, as sources close to the matter have explained in statements to the Irrawaddy news portal, which has reported that it is The numbers are expected to increase.

A resident of Kyauknimaw has indicated that the population has few medications, so the lives of the injured are in serious danger. Ramree Island is under rebel control and, since early 2024, has been the target of attacks by the military junta that has ruled the country since the coup d’état in February 2021.

The Arakan Army has taken over 14 of the 17 municipalities in Rakhine State, so only the capital, Sittwe, and the towns of Munuaung and Kyaukphyu are in the hands of the Armed Forces.

A spokesman for the rebels has also indicated that the attack caused a large fire that took five hours to extinguish. Thus, he has called the attack “cowardly” and has assured that it has been perpetrated despite the fact that there are currently no clashes between the parties in Ramree. “Launching attacks of this type against civilians is a crime,” he said.