RAKHINE STATE – Locals reported that offensives of Arakan Army (AA) has reached Gwa Town, and the coup army was fiercely holding out with all its strengths, ground, navy and airstrike attacks.
On August 10, the fight started between AA and the junta army near Chin Kwin Village in Kyeintali Town of Gwa Township, and locals said that AA captured Kyeintali Town on August 15.
A 35-year-old man from Gwa Township said, “It can be said that AA captured Kyeintali Town. There were no junta troops in Kyeintali Town. Both the junta forces stationed in the police station and inside the town retreated to Ku Lar Pyin. At present, AA was fighting back from Ku Lar Pyin. They were still fighting yesterday.”
The terrorist junta forces in Kyeintali Town withdrew from the town and joined with their troops in Ku Lar Pyin Bridge, near Gwa Town. They fought back against AA and also continuously fired artillery shells on Kyeintali Town, he said.
The war-time evacuees said that the residents of Gwa Town have been forced to flee to Ayeyarwady Division as the clashes had reached near Gwa Town through Kyeintali Town and became more intense day by day.
A displaced woman in her 40s said, “there was no one in Gwa Town. The battle has come so close to the town. No one dares to stay in the town. If there are, I think there are only around 10 digits. We had to leave all our jobs and goods. We only took a few clothes and emergency items. We didn’t take anything else.”
Most of the residents have fled to the Ayeyarwady Division, and some ran away to some villages in Thandwe and Gwa townships.
It was said that the gate keepers at the entry gates of Ayeyarwady Division were extorting money from the war-time evacuees, and also the ward administrators of Ayeyarwady Division were asking for money for residence permits.
