Myo Thiri Kyaw and Cha Lu Aung — Two boys stepped on a landmine near Arkar Taung (Muslim) village in Rathedaung Township, Arakan State, on March 10, killing one and injuring the other, residents said.

Mahmed Jamil, 13, died on the way to hospital due to the severity of his wounds, and 12-year-old Anar Tular is being provided medical treatment at Buthidaung Hospital, family members said.

The two children stepped on the landmine on their way to herd cattle in a field between Arkar Taung and Thameehla villages.

“We heard an explosion sound just a few minutes after they left home. I checked in the direction the explosion occurred and found them in a pit,” said U D Mar Mar, the father of Mahmed Jamil.

The incident is the latest of several landmine tragedies involving members of rural populations in war-torn parts of Arakan State who have met similar fates after venturing from the relative safety of their villages to take livestock to pasture, forage for food or gather firewood. The growing casualty count has spurred calls for landmine risk education and a subsequent rollout of additional programming among some populations in Arakan State.

Fighting between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army in Arakan State has resulted in more than 130 civilian deaths and over 300 injured, according to the Arakan Students Union (Universities- Yangon).