The Brotherhood Alliance says Myanmar’s junta has escalated heavy bombardments on the island town of Ramree in Rakhine State, aiming to destroy the town.
In retaliation for suffering heavy defeats to alliance member the Arakan Army (AA) across Rakhine State, the junta is pounding the town, the alliance said.
The Brotherhood Alliance, which also includes the Ta’ang National Liberation Army and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, launched Operation 1027 against the junta across northern Shan State on October 27 last year, seizing around 20 towns.
But it halted the operation in January after signing a China-brokered ceasefire with the regime.
The AA widened the operation to Rakhine State on November 13, seizing more than 170 junta strongholds and five towns.
The alliance said the junta bombarded Ramree and its surroundings more than 100 times on Tuesday with fighter jets, Y-12 airplanes, gunboats and mortars.
Clashes started in Ramree Township in mid-December when AA troops clashed with regime forces stationed at the Aung Chan Thar hilltop pagoda south of the town.
The junta has since repeatedly bombarded the town and nearby villages, displacing most of the town’s 8,000 residents.
A junta Y-12 plane on Tuesday dropped over 30 bombs on Hnget Pyaw Chaung village and nearby areas in adjacent Kyaukphyu Township which contains a major China-invested special economic zone on the Rakhine coast.
Four houses were destroyed but no civilian casualties were reported.
On Monday a Y-12 bombed two Pauktaw Township villages, which had been seized by the AA, injuring nine civilians, including two children.
The AA claims to have seized a junta gunboat near Thet Pone village in Minbya Township on Tuesday.
In the last week, the AA said it sank three gunboats and two landing craft while disabling four other vessels.
