Dozens killed in Myanmar military air attack in Rakhine State, UN says

Attack connected colony of Kyauk Ni Maw, successful Ramree land township, kills much than 40 radical and destroys astir 500 homes.

Air attacks by Myanmar’s subject successful the occidental authorities of Rakhine this week killed dozens of people, the United Nations said, arsenic the state continues to beryllium mired successful unit 4 years aft a coup.

In a connection precocious connected Friday, the UN said that subject authorities forces deed Kyauk Ni Maw, a colony successful Ramree land township, sidesplitting much than 40 radical and destroying astir 500 homes.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the subject overthrew the elected authorities of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi successful 2021, igniting wide protests that evolved into a wide equipped rebellion connected aggregate fronts that near thousands dead.

Women and children were among those who were killed successful Rakhine, according to the statement, which was attributed to the UN nonmigratory and humanitarian coordinator successful Myanmar.

“Fighting successful Rakhine has precocious escalated, with civilians paying the highest terms of the conflict,” the connection said.

“Civilians look utmost risks, acute nutrient insecurity and a adjacent full illness of captious nationalist services.”

The UN study corroborates earlier testimonies by a rescue idiosyncratic and taste equipped radical the Arakan Army (AA) astir the deadly unit successful Rakhine.

The AA released the names of astatine slightest 26 Muslim villagers it said were among those killed, and 12 radical injured successful the attack.

Photos of the aftermath of the bombing obtained by the AFP quality bureau showed dazed residents walking done charred, smoking ruins, the crushed littered with corrugated metal, trees stripped bare of leaves and buildings reduced to a fewer scraps of walls.

A spokesperson for the subject authorities did not reply telephone calls by the Reuters and AFP quality agencies seeking comment.

The authorities has repeatedly rejected accusations that its forces are committing atrocities against civilians, saying it is trying to combat “terrorists”.

The subject has been struggling to combat absorption to its regularisation connected aggregate fronts astir the country, and respective areas person present fallen nether the power of antithetic rebel groups.

Aside from the AA, authorities forces are besides warring different groups specified arsenic the Karen National Union and the Kachin Independence Army, among others.

Friday’s connection by the UN urged each parties to adhere to their obligations nether planetary humanitarian law.

It besides called connected each parties “to warrant unimpeded humanitarian entree to present assistance to the astir vulnerable”.

Meanwhile, the Blood Money Campaign, a conjugation of Myanmar activists moving to chopped disconnected gross to the subject government, urged planetary governments to swiftly authorisation entities supplying it with aviation fuel.

“Only erstwhile this enactment stops volition the aerial strikes genuinely travel to an end,” said Mulan, spokesperson for Blood Money Campaign who goes by 1 name.

Last week, the UN said much than 3.5 cardinal radical person been displaced by the struggle successful Myanmar – an summation of 1.5 cardinal from past year.

Source

:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies