Four Rakhine IDPs Killed in Ayeyarwady Region Airstrikes Within a Month

Two displaced Rakhine civilians were killed on September 5 during a military airstrike on Pantawgyi village in Lay Myint Township, Ayeyarwady Region, according to local sources.

The victims—a father and son who had previously fled conflict in Rakhine State—were identified as U Hla Shwe, over 60, and Ko Min Htwe, over 30.

Residents reported that a military aircraft bombed the village around 5:00 a.m. despite the absence of active clashes in the immediate area. The strike destroyed at least six homes belonging to both residents and displaced families.

“Pantawgyi is located right on the Rakhine State border,” a resident told Narinjara. “There is no active fighting or military presence here. These families fled the war in Rakhine because they had nowhere else to go. They were already struggling with severe food shortages and poor living conditions, and now they are being bombed. The area is cut off from communications, and the remaining displaced people don't know where to run next.”

Pantawgyi village sits along the border between Ayeyarwady Region and the Rakhine Yoma mountain range—a strategic frontier where both the Arakan Army (AA) and its allies, as well as junta troops, maintain an active presence.

This attack marks the second fatal bombing of Rakhine refugees in the region within a single month. On August 5, a military airstrike targeted Thae Phyu village in neighboring Tharbaung Township—another border zone near the Rakhine Yoma—killing two displaced brothers and destroying their home.

The victims of that attack were identified as Ko Nga Soe, 40, and Ko Hla Htwe, 30, who had originally fled Gwa Township in Rakhine State.