An unexploded grenade left over from recent fighting detonated in Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State, on Thursday, injuring 10 children who were playing nearby, residents reported.

The explosion occurred around 11:20 a.m. on August 20 in Inndin Village when a group of children, aged 5 to 10, discovered an unexploded military ordnance in a residential compound.

The device exploded after the children began tampering with it.

Five of the injured children are from Inndin Village, while five others are residents of nearby Paeyon Village.

Six of the victims sustained severe injuries and are receiving emergency medical treatment, with families seeking financial support for medical expenses.

A local source close to the Arakan Army (AA), which controls the area, highlighted the ongoing risk posed by unexploded ordnance (UXO) across former battlefields.

"There are still many unexploded ordnances left behind from earlier fighting in Rakhine State," the source said. "The AA is conducting clearance operations, but lacks the capacity for large-scale removal. Beyond clearance, there is an urgent need for public awareness campaigns to prevent residents—both children and adults—from handling unknown devices."

Inndin Village served as a key stronghold for Myanmar military troops during intense clashes in Maungdaw before the AA established control over the region.

Explosive hazards remain a persistent threat in the area; last year, a local woman lost both legs after stepping on a landmine while gathering firewood.

The AA has been expanding demining and UXO clearance operations across former junta installations in northern Rakhine State.

In 2025, a 115-day demining operation cleared approximately 3,000 landmines from surrounding villages and the former Border Guard Police Battalion No. 5 base.

In January 2026, the group reported removing an additional 78 anti-personnel landmines from the vicinity of Border Guard Police Battalion No. 766.