AA Rescues Approximately 300 People Held as Human Shields in Maungdaw Township

August 9, 2024

In Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State, the Arakan Army (AA) has rescued around 300 civilians who were held as human shields by the military. Reports indicate that this rescue took place yesterday, August 8, around 1 PM, within the confines of Boma Village in Maungdaw Township.

AA members managed to extract the elderly, men, women, and children who had been held captive by the military and their armed associates during an intense battle, safely transporting them to secure locations.

Some of these civilians reportedly endured long periods of being used as human shields by the military, leading to severe shortages of food and suffering from hunger.

The Arakan Army has been conducting operations against the military’s remaining outposts in Maungdaw, while simultaneously coordinating efforts in the town to avoid civilian casualties. It has been reported that villagers from Maungdaw and surrounding areas were warned to flee to safer areas on June 16 and August 7 due to impending clashes.

Following these announcements, it was alleged that the military forces and their armed affiliates continued to prevent villagers from the Muslim communities from escaping, using them as human shields, according to AA.