Maungdaw, Arakan State: Residents of several villages in northern Maungdaw Township have fled their homes following raids, forced conscription, and violent acts allegedly carried out by the Arakan Army (AA), according to local sources.
Local residents said that on May 24, 2026, at around 6:00 a.m., more than 100 AA fighters entered Thin Baw Hla Chakma village in northern Maungdaw. According to the sources, the armed group surrounded the village, fired weapons, and physically assaulted elderly residents.
Later that afternoon, at approximately 2:30 p.m., AA members allegedly rounded up all males and females aged 14 and above, loaded them onto trucks, and forcibly took them for military service.
On the same day, at around 10:00 a.m., three ethnic Chakma men from Bangladesh were reportedly killed after stepping on a landmine allegedly planted by the Arakan Army while collecting firewood near the Myanmar-Bangladesh border.
Following the incidents, many elderly villagers and residents reportedly fled to safer areas and are currently taking temporary shelter elsewhere.
According to local residents, a similar incident took place on May 25, 2026, in Mee Taik Chakma village in northern Maungdaw. At around 10:00 a.m., AA fighters allegedly entered the village, surrounded it, and fired weapons. Elderly residents were reportedly beaten during the raid.
Later that day, at around 2:00 p.m., the armed group allegedly forcibly conscripted all males and females aged 13 and above, loading them onto trucks and taking them into military service.
