A 13-year-old girl was killed by a shelling in Pyainetaw Village, part of Arakan State’s Rathedaung Township, at around 11 a.m. on Wednesday.
The victim has been identified as Ma Nyein Aye San, a Grade 7 student. She was struck by shrapnel while at her home, reportedly killed by an artillery shell fired from a military camp about four miles from the village. Her parents were visiting another village at the time of the incident, according to a local resident.
“She [the victim] was alone at home as her parents were visiting Ceditaung Village. She was struck by shrapnel after an artillery shell hit the home and she was pronounced dead on the spot,” said the resident, who declined to be named for security reasons.
Three artillery shells reportedly landed and exploded in Pyainetaw Village on Wednesday. U Tin Shwe, a local man, said it is not considered safe to bury the girl’s body in the village at the moment, so they are planning to transport it to a nearby location.
“We are afraid of being fired upon by the junta troops stationed on Manyin Hill when we go outside the village to bury the girl’s body. We are planning to bury her body in a convenient location. There was no fighting near the village. There is no safety for us,” the unnamed resident added.
Pyainetaw villagers fled to nearby villages in September as two military camps fired heavy weapons into the village. The villagers reportedly returned home two days ago as they had struggled to make ends meet at displacement camps and elsewhere.
Residents of Pyainetaw Village have once again fled out of fear for their safety following Wednesday’s shelling into the village.
A local man from Daingnetpyin (Muslim) Village in Arakan State’s Buthidaung Township was fatally wounded when an artillery shell fell and exploded in the village on October 18, with the victim reportedly dying at Buthidaung Hospital while receiving treatment later that day.
Three people died and six others were injured by junta artillery strikes in Arakan State’s Minbya Township on October 17, according to local residents. Among the victims were children and a schoolteacher.
