At least 735 civilians have been killed and more than 1,500 injured by Myanmar's military junta and its allies in Rakhine State over the past year, according to a report by the United League of Arakan (ULA).
The escalating violence continues to affect large portions of Rakhine and Paletwa Township in Chin State, Irrawaddy reports.
The Arakan Army (AA), the armed wing of ULA, launched its offensive on November 13 last year, targeting junta forces in northern Rakhine and Paletwa. Since then, it has seized control of 11 out of Rakhine’s 17 townships and Paletwa.
The AA is focusing its efforts on capturing key towns such as Ann, Taungup, Maungdaw, and Gwa. Ann Township is particularly significant as it hosts the military command centers for the state.
In response, the junta has resorted to heavy air and artillery strikes, leading to indiscriminate civilian casualties.
The ULA’s Humanitarian and Development Coordination Office reported that 735 civilians, including 132 children, have been killed in the past year. Additionally, 1,569 people have been injured, with many of these casualties resulting from air and drone strikes as well as artillery fire.
In one particular incident, nine civilians in Thandwe Township were killed in May by junta shelling, despite no active fighting in the area. In February, naval shelling struck a market in Sittwe, killing 12 and injuring almost 80.
Sittwe, under junta control, has seen the highest number of civilian casualties, with 108 deaths. The ULA report also noted that civilians in these junta-controlled areas, including Kyaukphyu, are at high risk of arrest, arbitrary detention, and execution.
Displaced populations face immense hardship, with more than 550,000 people forced to flee their homes. Over 6,400 homes, 12 hospitals, and multiple markets have been destroyed in the conflict.
The report calls for urgent humanitarian assistance, with the desperate need for food, shelter, and medical care for the displaced.
