By Ahtaram Shin
In mid-May, the Arakan Army (AA) seized control of Buthidaung and then set its sights on Maungdaw. Since last June, Maungdaw Township has been engulfed in continuous clashes between the AA and the Military Junta following the AA's capture of Buthidaung. Over June and July, the AA advanced further, taking control of Na Ka Ka 2, Meegyi Chaung, Pan Daw Pyin village, and eventually the Shwezar Border Guard Police (BGP) post. Both Pan Daw Pyin and Shwezar are Rohingya villages, whose residents have since been displaced to downtown Maungdaw. Meanwhile, the Military Junta has held onto positions in Maung Ni village and at the Myo Thugyi Battalion (Na Ka Ka 5). Rohingya civilians do not live in these Junta-controlled areas, and the Military forces have largely avoided civilian zones.
The Rohingya population in Maungdaw resides in Ward 1 (Okilipara), Ward 2 (Ali Para and Foyazi Para), Ward 3 (Hañripara), and Myoma Kyain Dan (Shidapara). These areas have been relentlessly targeted by AA drones, causing casualties and leaving dozens injured daily.
"There are no Junta forces here, so why are they striking our village with drones? If it happened occasionally, we might think it was a mistake, but these attacks are deliberate and continuous. They seem to be specifically targeting Rohingya civilians because there have been no strikes on the Junta battalions, only in areas where we live," said Shomsu Alom, a Rohingya from Maungdaw.
In June and July alone, over 100 people were killed and around 320 injured in mortar shelling and drone attacks by the AA, according to reports by the Rohingya Youth Club and the Mayyu Region Human Rights Documentation Center. In addition to the bombardments, many young people have been abducted, assassinated, or remain missing.
As the violence escalated in August, with intensified drone strikes on civilian areas, families began planning their escape. "We had no way out except by heading toward the riverbank. Since June, we’ve been moving as groups, sheltering in different buildings day and night, but the AA targeted any place where civilians gathered," said resident Nur Alom.
On August 5th, desperation led approximately 2,000 people to gather near the fence in Ward 2, preparing to flee to Bangladesh—their only perceived escape route. The remaining residents found themselves encircled by AA forces. Around 5 p.m., multiple drone strikes were launched from the Pan Daw Pyin and Shwezar areas, both under AA control. "It was a deliberate attack on us because Ward 2 is miles away from the Junta positions in Maung Ni village," said Karim. The strikes left 156 dead, including children, women, and men, and over 300 injured.
Among the survivors was Ayas, a 37-year-old Rohingya who was injured along with his daughter. He described the horrific scene: "My elder son and aunt were shot dead by AA in front of me while I pretended to be dead on the riverbank. My wife, carrying our younger son, fled toward Ali Para village." Ayas was part of a group of 19, all of whom were killed. He also recounted how AA forces showed no mercy, killing a teenage boy sitting beside his parents’ dead bodies, saying, "Let him die since both his parents are dead." Another woman hiding in the bushes was found by the AA, gang-raped, and murdered in front of Ayas’s eyes. The brutality continued into the night as Ayas, bleeding profusely, lay on the riverbank while "the entire shore turned red with our blood."
Rohima, another survivor, was near the fence with her family. "We were by the Naf River when drones from both the north and south—where the AA is positioned—began swarming the area. I managed to escape with my four children, but my husband was killed near the fence. My daughter and I were injured. We stayed on the riverbank that night, and on August 6th, we fled to Bangladesh."
That night, those who could not escape remained scattered along the Naf River bank, trapped between the violence and the water. The AA attacked a boat carrying 20 passengers, leaving only two survivors. The same night, two more boats capsized while fleeing to Bangladesh, with a combined loss of 68 lives. In total, 262 people died that day, including those who drowned in the capsized boats.
The situation was dire and tragic. After the drone strikes, the bodies of the dead and wounded lay abandoned near the fence, with no one to provide rescue, medical aid, or even a burial. There was no humanitarian support, no local pharmacy offering help—everyone was left to fend for themselves. "A day and a night passed before people could bury the dead, wrapping them in whatever cloth they had," one anonymous witness said.
Umme Salma, a 22-year-old Rohingya woman, survived the massacre but lost her entire family. "On August 5th, the AA killed all nine members of my family, including my parents and siblings, in Hañripara (Ward-3). I wasn’t home at the time; that’s the only reason I survived."
Despite these atrocities, the international response has been muted. The deliberate drone strikes in densely populated Rohingya areas, void of military presence, point to a calculated campaign of terror against this already vulnerable community. Despite the mounting casualties and the displacement of thousands, the silence from the international community is deafening. The Rohingya remain defenseless, cut off from humanitarian aid and medical care, forced to bury their dead with their bare hands and flee across treacherous waters to seek safety. Additionally, many fear for those "evacuated" by the AA, who may never return.
This is not merely another chapter of conflict; it is a continuation of the genocidal campaign against the Rohingya, now advanced by new actors. The Rohingya urgently need protection, and the international community cannot afford further inaction. The time to act is now—to prevent more loss of life and ensure humanitarian assistance reaches those who need it most.
Ahtaram Shin is an editor and regular columnist contributor at Rohingyatographer. He writes about human rights, with a focus on advocacy and the Rohingya crisis. Ahtaram is a multifaceted professional whose work spans research, journalism, education, social work, and project management, all aimed at advocacy and capacity building.