An intensification of fighting between ethnic Arakan Army fighters and junta troops in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state has caused tens of thousands of villagers to flee four major townships in anticipation of additional clashes, RFA reported Friday.
The fighting follows a Nov. 13 attack by the Arakan Army, or AA, on two junta police outposts which broke a ceasefire between the two sides that had been in place since November 2022.
According to the article, military forces are now shelling towns in the state with heavy artillery before taking up positions and arresting inhabitants.
UN reports indicate that some 500,000 people have been displaced from their homes in Myanmar since the end of October.
