Extremists attack, kill five Daingnet ethnic villagers

August 28, 2017

Ongoing violence in northern Rakhine State resulted in the evacuation of a village, five more deaths and several injuries to civilians and the military.

Security forces yesterday evacuated 55 surviving members of the Daingnet ethnic tribe in Rakhine State who were attacked by extremists on Saturday, resulting in the death of five of villagers, according to the Information Committee of the State Counsellor’s Office.
It was previously reported that six members of a Hindu family were killed after shots were fired in their home on Saturday.
Saturday’s killings came a day after an ambush of several police and border guard outposts that left over 90 dead across northern Rakhine State. Security forces were attacked again yesterday with dozens of improvised explosive devices (IEDs),
The Information Committee’s report released yesterday states that 22 Daingnet ethnic villagers left Yankar Zaydi village on Saturday for Aungzan village in an effort to ensure safety for their people after the violence in northern Rakhine rapidly escalated on Friday. When they neared Kyaungdoe village, they were attacked by about 100 terrorists who were armed with sticks and machetes. U Maung Ba Sein, 28, managed to escape and said that security forces arrived in Yankar Zaydi village on Sunday and rescued 38 tribespeople who had remained.
The surviving 16 villagers who were attacked near Kyaungdoe village arrived at the district police station yesterday morning. Ma Oo Khin Khin, 27, suffered slash wounds and was hospitalised. Among the five Daingnet villagers killed on Saturday was U Sein Htun Maung, 28, according to the Information Committee.
The violence in northern Rakhine State continued unabated yesterday when extremist terrorists ambushed security forces with improvised explosive devices, small arms and machetes, resulting in injuries to one policeman and one civilian.
“From 27th to 28th August, 45 explosions of IEDs occurred”, said a statement from the Information Office. “Seven villages, one police outpost and two wards in Maungtaw were (also) burnt down by extremist terrorists”.
Dr Win Myat Aye, the Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, and Rakhine State Chief Minister U Nyi Pu visited a local battalion in northern Rakhine and spoke words of encouragement to the ethnic Rakhine people and civil servants taking shelter there.
At the meeting, the internally displaced people asked authorities for their help in returning to their native towns.
With the killings of the Daingnet ethnic villagers, the death toll from the violence that erupted on Friday with coordinated attacks by extremist terrorists has climbed to at least 110.
Meanwhile, the government said it was investigating whether members of international aid groups had been involved in an alleged siege by the extremist terrorists of a village in Rakhine.
UN, foreign countries condemn terrorist attacks in Rakhine
The United Nations and foreign ministries of the United States of America, India and Turkey and embassies of USA, Britain and Australia released statements recently condemning deadly attacks on border posts in northern
Rakhine.—GNLM/ Myanmar News Agency

Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar