Junta attacks disrupt fishing livelihoods in Werathani
Continued bombardment by the military junta using airstrikes, heavy artillery and naval gunboats in Werathani Township amid the ongoing battle for Sittwe has severely disrupted local fishing activities, plunging residents into a deep livelihood crisis, locals reported.
DMG Newsroom
16 October 2026, Werathani
Continued bombardment by the military junta using airstrikes, heavy artillery and naval gunboats in Werathani Township amid the ongoing battle for Sittwe has severely disrupted local fishing activities, plunging residents into a deep livelihood crisis, locals reported.
As heavy fighting rages across border areas around Sittwe, including Werathani, Ponnagyun and Rathedaung, the military junta is firing on both active combat zones and civilian areas with warplanes, artillery and armed naval vessels.
Werathani residents report that they are unable to go fishing and that, whenever they attempt to transport their catches of fish and prawns to market, regime speedboats pursue them and open fire.
“It's nearly impossible to go fishing,” said a local resident. “When we try to deliver our catches to sell, military speedboats chase us down from open waters, flashing searchlights to target us. If this continues, we could face severe food shortages.”
In September, military forces similarly intercepted and arrested local fishermen from Werathani Township who were fishing at sea, opened fire on them and left them stranded in open waters.
Residents of Pyainetaung, Chiwai, Hsintetmaw, Kalartel, Soemelkyi, Kalarthein and Chaungwa villages, located on Myayngu Island and the western side of Alel Phayonekar Island, depend entirely on fishing for their livelihoods.
Fishermen from these communities traditionally transport and sell their catches in Kyauktaw and Mrauk-U. However, extreme dangers along water transport routes have halted trade, severely affecting families' ability to survive.
As an island community, Myayngu Island lacks land routes and relies exclusively on water transportation. With ongoing junta shelling and naval patrols, residents live in constant fear for their lives.
“We hear the sound of explosions every single day,” said a resident of Pyainetaung Village. “As our island is only accessible by water, traveling to Kyauktaw or Mrauk-U feels like risking our lives. If the fighting escalates, the situation will only get worse. With junta airstrikes happening almost daily now, we cannot even step away from our bomb shelters.”
Daily battles continue as junta forces mount fierce amphibious and aerial assaults to capture Ngapyi Island in Werathani Township, meeting strong resistance from the Arakan Army.
Meanwhile, the military junta continues to target civilian villages with sustained aerial bombardments, leaving local populations in constant fear for their safety, residents reported.
On October 10, a nighttime junta airstrike on Hsin Ai Village in Werathani Township killed seven civilians, including children, and wounded more than 10 others.
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