Residents of Kyaukpyu and Sittwe townships told DVB that at least 200 homes were destroyed by a drone strike on two villages in Arakan State on Thursday. Kyaukphyu is located 315 miles (506 km) south of the state capital Sittwe.
A Kyaukphyu resident told DVB that the drones deployed from the Danyawaddy Naval Base destroyed 170 homes in Oo Kin village. This naval base is the only one remaining under regime control in Arakan.
Kyaukphyu serves as a strategic economic hub for Chinese-backed infrastructure projects, including oil and gas pipelines, electrical power facilities, and transportation networks.
Most residents of Oo Kin village have fled their homes due to the threat of regime air, artillery, and drone strikes since Feb. 20. Over 4,000 Kyaukpyu residents have fled their homes since February as fighting between the Arakan Army (AA) and regime forces has escalated.
Nearly 40 homes were damaged or destroyed by a drone strike in Warbo village of Sittwe Township, which is located nine miles (14 km) southwest of Sittwe and about 65 miles (105 km) northwest of Kyaukpyu, on March 6.
Data For Myanmar, an independent research organization, has documented that the regime’s arson attacks and airstrikes have destroyed over 110,000 civilian homes nationwide since the 2021 coup.
The AA has taken control of 14 out of 17 townships in Arakan since it launched its most recent offensive on Nov. 13, 2023. Besides Sittwe and Kyaukphyu, the island of Manaung remains under regime control.
