The Myanmar Army have decided to use choppers and tanks supported by Navy personnel for Mayu range clearance operation in western Arakan, where 59 people were killed and 33 went missing by the armed terrorists recently.
The border affairs minister Let Gan Ye Aung revealed this information when he met 11 prominent abbots in the Arakanese capital city of Sittwe recently.
“The minister (Lt Gen Ye Aung) told us about the clearance operation on Mayu range during the meeting. The government will use choppers, tanks etc in the crackdown operations against the Muslim militants. Moreover, many landing ships will also be used in the mission,” said Shwe Zaydi saradaw (abbot) who was present in the meeting.
The operation was planned immediately after a suspected terrorist group killed 8 indigenous Mro tribe people in the locality on 3 August last.
The meeting, held at Mani Yadana monastery on Monday morning, witnessed the presence of prominent monks with Union ministers for education, social development, immigration etc.
“The meeting was aimed to explain about the clearance operation, to be undertaken by the Burma Army personnel on Mayu range. They also explained us how to protect the locals with the enhanced security nets,” he added.
Meanwhile, a large numbers of soldiers from 33 & 99 divisions have arrived in several villages along the Mayu range to start the clearance operation against the rebels.
There were already sizable volume of armed personnel (50 battalions) in Arakan, but the Centre plans to engage Burmese soldiers additionally in the operation.
The local authorities have already imposed section 144 in 11 village tracts under Rathidaung township preventing villagers from going outside in the night hours (9 pm to 5 am) and disallowing in gathering of five or more people at a venue.
- by Narinjara News
