The military junta has escalated its assault on the coastal town of Ramree in Rakhine State, employing more powerful and devastating bombs in what appears to be a concerted effort to obliterate the area, according to the Arakan Army (AA).
Reports from the AA indicate that on Tuesday, junta fighter jets unleashed a barrage of intensified bombing, resulting in the destruction of vital infrastructure such as a public hospital and the Myoma market. Additionally, numerous civilian residences bore the brunt of the onslaught.
The AA disclosed that the junta's aircraft deployed 500-pound bombs and other highly destructive munitions during the assault, marking an escalation in the level of devastation witnessed in previous attacks. In a separate incident, a convent housing Buddhist nuns in the town's Inn Taung ward was obliterated by three airstrikes conducted by junta jets earlier that day.
The conflict between the AA and junta forces erupted in Ramree township in mid-December of the preceding year, originating from clashes near the Aung Chan Thar hilltop pagoda south of the town. Since then, the junta has consistently subjected the town to aerial, maritime, and terrestrial bombardment.
Furthermore, on Tuesday, regime bases in Rakhine State indiscriminately shelled residential areas in various townships, including Ponnagyun, Rathedaung, Buthidaung, and the state capital, Sittwe. In a particularly egregious incident, the entire Alal Su residential ward in Ponnagyun town was razed to the ground by regime troops stationed at a nearby hilltop base.
Simultaneously, the AA persisted in its offensive against the junta's 9th Central Military Training School near Kan Ni Village in Minbya Township, intensifying its attacks since Saturday.
Originating from the Brotherhood Alliance, which initiated the anti-regime Operation 1027 in northern Shan State on October 27 of the prior year, the AA has been a key player in the coordinated offensive. Despite a temporary ceasefire brokered by China in early January, the AA expanded its operations to Rakhine State on November 13, seizing over 170 junta strongholds and six towns in Rakhine and Chin States.
The AA has issued calls for regime forces in the remaining western state bases to surrender, warning of escalating attacks until all objectives are achieved. In response, the junta reportedly imposed a blockade on the state capital, Sittwe, detaining and interrogating individuals attempting to access the town, including 600 passengers arriving from Yangon.
The situation remains tense as conflict escalates, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence inflicted by both sides.
BOB Post
