Armed Group in Myanmar: 12 Killed in Artillery Shelling at Market

At least 12 civilians were killed when artillery shells hit a crowded market in Rakhine State in western Myanmar, where the ruling military council and opposing forces are exchanging accusations about the latest violence shaking the Southeast Asian nation. The Arakan Army, an armed group active in Rakhine State adjacent to Bangladesh, stated that a warship off the coastal city of Sittwe fired shells at the Myoma market yesterday, resulting in the deaths of 12 people and injuries to over 80. The military council released a statement on the official Myawaddy television channel claiming that the shells were fired by the Arakan Army, but did not confirm the casualty numbers. A spokesperson for the ethnic armed group stated that "the Arakan Army has expelled military council forces from at least five towns." Sittwe and other towns in Rakhine are experiencing media blackouts as the military council reinstated internet restrictions and mobile phone connectivity. Myanmar has been engulfed in violence since the military seized power from the elected government in a coup in 2021. Since October, the military council has faced its biggest challenge to its grip on power as armed rebel groups launched coordinated attacks on military sites in various states across the country. The conflict between the Arakan Army and the military council is intensifying in Rakhine, focusing near Sittwe, the state capital, an important port and commercial center on the Bay of Bengal.