The powered schooner attacked and damaged by navy in Mayu River in Rathedaung Township, Rakhine State does not belong to the ICRC and only Arakan Army (AA) members are onboard it, announced the Tatmadaw True News Information Team on October 28.

Some social accounts circulated the news that the navy destroyed a vessel supplying food for the locals by the ICRC near Kanpyin Village in Mayu River on October 28, it said.

Three navy vessels travelling from Aungzeya Village to Yathedaung arrived at a place near Minkin Island about 2,000 meters south of Aungzeya Village and they had been attacked by AA members onboard a top speed powered schooner. The security forces attacked back at them. The powered schooner caught fire and drifted away along the river, it said.

The army contacted the ICRC officials and they said the powered schooner did not belong to them, it said.

Moreover the ICRC informed the respective negotiation committees in advance if the ICRC wants to provide humanitarian assistance and the security forces are assisting them. The news spread around in social media about the attack on ICRC’s vessel is wrong, it said.

However the vessel hired by the ICRC to carry aid from Sittwe to Yathedaung was damaged and it was transporting “humanitarian assistance in support of the civilian population affected by the armed conflict”, the ICRC confirmed.

No Red Cross staff was aboard and the ICRC’s main concern is now to ensure that the boat crew members reportedly injured during the incident receive timely medical assistance and support, it announced.

The ICRC is monitoring the situation by contacting officials and it suspended its field trips from Sittwe and activities in Yathedaung until further notice, it said.