RAKHINE STATE – Sittwe residents reported hearing the sound of heavy artillery fire starting past 10 p.m. on February 7.
Although they can’t pinpoint the exact site of the artillery fire, they believe that the sounds came from the area of Amyintgyun and Pardaleik.
“We heard sounds of heavy artillery starting around 10 p.m. last night (February 7). We don’t know who fired those but it was pretty loud. We also heard sounds of planes around 12 and 1 as well as the sounds of helicopter landing,” said a Sittwe resident.
A member of the Arakan Army administration stated that the Arakan Army shelled several junta battalions and bases around Sittwe, informing that “the battle to capture Sittwe will begin soon”.
The Arakan Army and the junta council often exchange heavy artillery fire and carry out sniper attacks on each other near Sittwe.
The Arakan Army has surrounded Sittwe, preparing to capture the city while the junta council has also reinforced troops and built strong defenses.
