SITTWE, Rakhine State—Three civilians were injured after stepping on landmines in a rural area of Rathedaung Township in troubled Rakhine State on Sunday. Two of the injured lost limbs in the blasts.
U Wai Ban Phyu, a 47-year-old resident of Kalarchaung Village, and U Kyaw Aye Thein and U Kyaw Win Hlaing, 53 and 40 respectively, of Mu Nyin Taung Village were injured in two mine blasts on Sunday evening.
U Wai Ban Phyu stepped on a landmine while collecting firewood near Mu Nyin Taung Village. His companion phoned Mu Nyin Taung villagers and asked for help. As the villagers went to the scene, U Kyaw Aye Thein and U Kyaw Win Hlaing, who were walking at the front of the group, stepped on another landmine and were injured.
“My husband was walking at the front, and he lost his left leg,” Daw San Thein Nu, the wife of U Kyaw Aye Thein, told The Irrawaddy.
There have been frequent clashes between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA) in mountains near Mu Nyin Taung Village recently, according to local residents.
U Wai Ban Phyu lost his right leg and was receiving treatment at Sittwe Hospital together with U Kyaw Aye Thein. U Kyaw Win Hlaing was injured in his arm, and was being treated at Rathedaung Township Hospital.
Hundreds of civilians are feared dead or injured in fighting between the Myanmar military and the AA in northern Rakhine State and neighboring Chin State since November 2018.
Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko
