Arakan's Ponnagyun residents flee en masse as junta airstrikes target displacement camps

Internally displaced people in Ponnagyun Township, Arakan State, are being forced to relocate again as the military regime conducts relentless daily airstrikes targeting villages and displacement camps.

Displaced populations across Ponnagyun Township have been sheltering in temporary bamboo huts built along roadsides and in nearby forested hills around Kyaukseik, Thayetcho, Pannilar, Yoengu, and Aungphyupyin villages.

In recent days, military forces have carried out daily aerial attacks directly targeting these villages and adjacent IDP camps.

“When bombs fell near our village, residents and displaced people were completely terrified,” a resident of Pannilar Village said. “Four warplanes arrived simultaneously during the latest strike. For now, both residents and displaced families are fleeing to safer locations.”

Daily aerial bombardments targeting villages and displacement camps in Ponnagyun Township between September 30 and October 5 killed eight civilians and wounded 17 others.

The continuous airstrikes have forced Ponnagyun residents to live under constant fear and anxiety.

“There is no safety at all in Ponnagyun because planes fly over and drop bombs every single day,” a young resident of Ponnagyun Township said. “Lives are lost daily. People are abandoning their homes and fleeing. We spend every day living in fear and dread of air attacks.”

In an effort to recapture occupied territories across Arakan State, the military regime launched offensives deploying seven columns advancing from Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, Ayeyarwady, Bago, and Magway regions, as well as Chin State.

The military launched a major offensive, codenamed 'Operation 4926,' to reclaim lost territory near Ponnagyun and Kyaukphyu townships, but retreated after facing heavy losses from Arakan Army counter-attacks.

According to an analytical report published by the Institute for Strategy and Policy – Myanmar (ISP-Myanmar) on October 5, the war in Arakan State is transforming into a total war. With the military regime expected to intensify its aerial campaign, civilian casualties and suffering are projected to rise significantly.

Photo: (APM / Ponnagyun residents flee the fighting in August 2025.)