Heavy Artillery Shell Strikes Central Sittwe: 5 Civilians Killed, Multiple Injured

Hnin Nwe Ni

Narinjara, October 23, 2026

A heavy artillery shell struck and exploded this morning in the central area of Sittwe, the Arakan capital currently controlled by the military regime, killing at least five civilians, including four women, and injuring many others.

According to a local resident, the casualties occurred when artillery shells landed and detonated in Sittwe’s Mawleik and Kyaung Tet Lan wards around 8:00 AM today, October 23.

"One shell landed in front of the 'Ma Ma Gyi' tea shop, near the 'Shwe Nga' intersection and the traffic lights," the resident reported. "A woman selling fried sticky rice was killed, as was a man nearby who was selling e-kyar-kway (fried dough sticks). Another woman died near a small office on Kyaung Tet Lan, close to the forest department road. A woman near the Maramagyi monastery was also killed, along with one more woman. In total, five people died, and many others were injured."

The exact number of shells fired remains unconfirmed, and Narinjara is continuing to investigate further details.

It is not yet known which group carried out the attack. Intense fighting is currently taking place between the Arakan Army (AA) and the Myanmar military on the outskirts of Sittwe.