Hnin Nwe Ni — SITTWE — Artillery shells landed near Sittwe Prison and the entrance to Thandawli village yesterday in the Rakhine State capital. While the shell near the prison failed to detonate, the escalating activity has sparked widespread panic among local residents.

At approximately 1:00 PM on April 8, an unexploded shell landed just north of Sittwe Prison.

“It fell north of the prison, near the road in front of the Computer University,” a local resident reported. “It landed near a Thingyan tree on the prison side of the road. The shell broke into pieces but did not explode, and fortunately, no one was injured.”

Separately, witnesses reported that artillery fragments fell into fields near the entrance of Thandawli village, located close to Sittwe Police Battalion 12.

“I saw smoke trailing from the projectile. People nearby described it as looking like a rocket bullet firing from the rear of the artillery piece,” another resident said, adding that there were no casualties in that area.

The source of the fire remains unconfirmed. While residents reported heavy artillery fire throughout the day and night on April 8—including sounds coming from the 20th Battalion—it is unclear whether the shells were launched by the Military Council or the Arakan Army (AA).

The tension in the capital intensified today as a Military Council jet fighter was seen flying over Sittwe, reportedly dropping bombs in the direction of nearby Pauktaw.

“We heard the sounds of the 20th Battalion firing last night, though we don't know the reason,” a resident noted.

The combination of unexploded ordnance and aerial activity has left the community on edge.