Heavy shell killed and injured staffs and family members of a branch of Myanma Economic Bank (MEB) in Paletwa, Chin State on April 22 as heavy shelling occurred between government troops and Arakan Army (AA), said Soe Htet, State Minister for Development, Electricity and Industry.
However it is difficult to confirm who is responsible for it and he had report about the killing of a third-grade student being killed by a shell at a port in Paletwa on April 23, he said.
He said the military operation of AA should not be made in residential areas and it will only give trouble to local people.
The AA should not make their operations in towns and villages such as Mrauk-U, Kyauktaw and Ponnakyun townships. They gave no sympathy to people. It is the same in northern Rakhine State and Paletwa. The fighting should be made in the forest and mountainous areas,” he said.
The KACC assumed civilians are injured in the fighting as the AA members lived among the civilians. So the AA should be retreated from Paletwa Township to have security in the township, announced Khumi Affairs Coordination Council (KACC) on April 23.
The KACC also announced they felt sorry for those, who have been killed and injured by the fighting in Chin and Rakhine states, along with their families.
The office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services announced the AA attacked and shelled Paletwa on the evening of April 22 from Myo-U Satae hill about 600 meters west of Paletwa and the shell exploded near the branch of MEB in the town killing three and injuring two among the bank staffs and family members.
The AA blocked and disrupted communication routes in Paletwa and they attacked and shelled in the towns and villages lived by innocent people to make instability in the area as the locals supported them less due to their lawless terrorist activities and they cannot resist the offensive of the Tatmadaw as Tatmadaw columns provided security day and night in the township, it said.
The injured people are sent to Paletwa hospital and security forces are conducting operations to restore stability and rule of law in the area.
