Residents Flee as Arakan Army Raids Villages in Northern Maungdaw, Forcibly Conscripts Civilians

Residents in northern Maungdaw Township are fleeing their homes following reported raids, forced conscription, and violence allegedly carried out by the Arakan Army in several villages.

Photo Source: Local Residents

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.

Local sources also reported that on the same day, a young Rohingya refugee sustained life-threatening injuries after stepping on a landmine allegedly planted by the Arakan Army while fishing in a stream near the Myanmar-Bangladesh border.

Residents say that the Arakan Army has been carrying out violent acts, unlawful arrests, forced recruitment, and other human rights abuses not only against Rohingya civilians but also against other ethnic minority communities across Arakan State.

Local residents and community groups are calling on international organizations to conduct independent investigations into the reported incidents and alleged human rights violations in Arakan State and to take effective action.