The Arakan Army (AA) spokesperson U Khine Thuka revealed during today’s press conference that over 920 civilians have been killed due to military attacks in the ongoing conflicts in Rakhine State. According to detailed reports, since the resumption of fighting in Rakhine State in November 2023, 926 civilians have lost their lives, 1,954 have been injured, and 947 civilians remain in military detention due to the military council’s operations.
According to ground reports documented by the AA, these casualties resulted from the military council’s airstrikes, naval attacks, artillery shelling, and arbitrary arrests and killings. U Khine Thuka emphasized that the actual death toll could be higher than the documented figures. The military council’s attacks have also resulted in the destruction of 10,502 residential buildings, 90 religious buildings, 45 schools, 12 hospitals and clinics, 22 bridges, 3 UN/INGO/NGO office buildings, and over 11,000 other structures throughout the region.
U Khine Thuka explained that the military council, facing significant losses in Rakhine State, has adopted a scorched earth policy, deliberately targeting civilians through airstrikes and arbitrary arrests and killings, which he described as blatant war crimes. He specifically highlighted an incident on January 18, 2025, when the military council conducted an airstrike using fighter jets on a location near Ramchaung in Mrauk-U Township where families of prisoners of war were being held, demonstrating their deliberate targeting of civilian populations. The military council’s actions continue to show a pattern of systematic violence against civilians, with documented evidence of widespread destruction and human rights violations throughout the conflict zone.
