Multiple villages in Rakhine State’s Kyaukphyu Township have suffered extensive damage from continuous aerial bombardment by the military council forces. On March 7 at approximately 2 PM, the military council conducted an airstrike using a fighter jet on Kwattin village in the Thitpoke Taung area, resulting in the destruction of at least 35 houses by fire. While local residents had managed to evacuate before the attack, the full extent of casualties remains unclear due to disrupted communication lines in the area. Local sources report that residents had preemptively relocated to safer areas, though the complete assessment of injuries and damages remains challenging due to severed telecommunications.
Prior to this incident, on March 6, the military council launched two separate aerial attacks on U Kyin village, one during midday and another in the evening, which led to the destruction of more than 170 houses. Fortunately, villagers had already evacuated the area more than ten days earlier due to ongoing conflicts, preventing any civilian casualties. The combined aerial assaults on U Kyin and Kwattin villages in Kyaukphyu Township have resulted in the destruction of over 200 houses, forcing local residents to flee their homes and seek refuge elsewhere. The systematic targeting of civilian areas has created a humanitarian crisis as residents continue to be displaced from their communities.
Additionally, on March 6, the military council conducted a drone strike on Wa village in Sittwe Township, destroying 35 houses. Currently, intense fighting continues between the military council forces and the Arakan Army (AA) across Sittwe and Kyaukphyu townships. The military council has been deliberately targeting civilian residential areas in their aerial bombing campaigns, a strategy that human rights observers have noted constitutes a war crime. The pattern of intentionally targeting civilian infrastructure and homes demonstrates a concerning disregard for civilian life and property, as the military council continues its aggressive operations in the region despite international condemnation of such tactics.
