Locals Call It an Act of Terror, Not a Battle
According to accounts provided by local residents, the Arakan Army (AA) carried out a drone bombing on April 27 targeting Depyu Chaung village tract in Maungdaw Township — a Rohingya-populated area with no Myanmar military presence. The attack burned the entire village to the ground.
Locals told AEN that before the bombing, AA forces had looted vehicles, motorcycles, rice supplies, and household goods belonging to the Rohingya villagers. The subsequent explosion and fires left 25 people injured and caused the total destruction of all houses, some collapsing from the blast and flames. Remaining structures were later bulldozed by AA troops.
A resident said,
“We don’t even know if they were fighting the Myanmar army or if they were simply targeting Rohingya civilians.”
The source added that only one house—belonging to a man named Maung Htoo—remains standing, and that AA has since turned it into a military post.
Once home to 442 houses and 2,655 residents, the entire village is now flattened into open ground. The displaced villagers are living in makeshift tents nearby, enduring dire conditions with little food or shelter. Children have been deprived of education and a future.
Displaced Rohingya told wsnews24.com,
“This wasn’t a battle. The Myanmar military didn’t resist— they stood aside and let it happen. In fact, it seems the Myanmar army is assisting AA in its campaign to erase Rohingya from these areas.”
Locals describe the bombing and arson as acts of terrorism, not warfare, and are appealing to the international community to intervene — to stop AA’s brutal attacks, protect civilian lives, and restore peace and security in the region.
