Sittwe, Rakhine State — Three police officers and a civilian were killed and others were injured in an attack by the Arakan Army (AA) on border guard trucks in Rakhine State’s Rathedaung Township on Monday, according to the Tatmadaw True News Information Team run by Myanmar’s military.
The AA allegedly carried out the ambush near Koetankauk Village on the Agnumaw-Maungdaw road on trucks carrying border guard police en route from Inn Din at around 5.20 pm on Monday.
It was followed by an exchange of fire in which three police died and four others were injured. A civilian driver was killed and another was injured, according to the military.
The border police came under attack as they reportedly went to provide security in response to intelligence that the AA personnel had arrived at the Maungdaw-Angumaw road near Done Pike Village and were planning to attack public transport.
“As far as we know, the road reopened to cars this morning but motorbikes are not allowed to pass. I heard Tatmadaw soldiers were deployed and there was a damaged truck by the roadside. Koetankauk villagers [about 3 km away] didn’t leave their homes but they were worried,” said U Khin Maung Latt of Rathedaung Township.
Government troops joined the police and the AA retreated, according to the military.
As the government has declared the AA a terrorist organization, The Irrawaddy was not able to contact the armed group for a comment.
Some police officers were injured in a raid by the AA on Done Pike border guard outpost in the same township on 13 June, according to Myanmar’s military.
In another attack, the AA raided the Thazin Myaing police outpost in Rathedaung Township on May 29, killing four police officers and abducting six others and three civilians, including a child. It later released the civilians.
In January, four border guards from the Thazin Myaing outpost were robbed of their December salaries on their return from Zedi Pyin police station in Rathedaung Township with their wages. Two of the four border guards went missing.
Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko
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