Clashes broke out between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army (AA) on October 16 at Kwan Chaung hill between Thae Taw and Aung Ma Kyaw villages, Ponnagyun Township at around noon on October 17.

The Tatmadaw employed two helicopters and fired rounds of ammunition around the fighting area for about 30 minutes, the residents of Aung Ma Kyaw village said.

A villager from Aung Ma Kyaw village said that the shots from the helicopter damaged five houses in the village.

“Two helicopters fired guns the fighting area, and bullet shells landed on my house and left a hole in the roof. People in the village are safe. We were afraid of the situation but unable to flee our homes because we were worried we would pinned down by gunfire during our exodus. So we just hid under the houses during the barrage of gunfire,” the villager said.

Colonel Win Zaw Oo, head of the Western Command, denied an accusation of using helicopters during the clashes.

“It is correct there was fighting. But we didn’t use any helicopter,” he said.

Aung Ma Kyaw village has around 70 houses and is the nearest village to the helicopter attack. The residents have been caught inside the village since the fighting broke out.