50 Feared Dead and Dozens Detained as Myanmar's Junta Crackdown on Ethnic Armed Groups Escalates
"Ongoing Conflict in Myanmar: Dozens Detained and Feared Dead in Rakhine State as Junta and Ethnic Armed Groups Clash, Prompting Mass Exodus and Intensifying Violence Across the Country."
In the ongoing conflict between Myanmar's junta and ethnic armed groups, around 50 people have been detained and an unknown number are feared dead in western Rakhine state. The clash occurred after Arakan Army (AA) fighters launched attacks on security forces in the west of the country. The junta troops responded by shelling the town of Pauktaw and shooting at it from helicopters after the AA fighters seized the police station.
Nice Reuters graphic illustrating the ground situation in N.Myanmar
— Viper 🇮🇳 (@viper202020) November 17, 2023
the CCP backed junta is simultaneously facing off with 3 rebel militias pic.twitter.com/HnuImGKuW9
The military later took control of the town, but residents reported that around 50 people had been detained. Thousands of people have already fled the town. The AA fighters are also battling the junta in northern Shan state, where they have seized towns and blocked vital trade routes to China. The junta accused the AA of destroying Rakhine people and regional development.
Meanwhile, clashes between People's Defense Force groups (PDFs) and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) have intensified across the country. PDFs and EAOs have targeted regime targets and junta bases in Mon, Shan, Rakhine, Sagaing, and Mandalay regions. Military casualties from these attacks could not be independently verified. The conflict between the junta and ethnic armed groups continues to escalate, causing immense suffering for the people of Myanmar.