The Arakan Army announced today that 76 people have been killed in a series of mass shootings by the military council at Byai Pru village in Sittwe. 

“Initially we learned that more than 50 out of the thousands of villagers from Byai Phyu Village, Sittwe City in Rakhine were killed within four days from May 29, 2024, by the Fascist Military Council in association with some troops of Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), and recently recruited  Muslim troops of the military council. The number of the dead has reached 76.” mentioned in the press release which was released at about 8:00 a.m. today 4 June 2024. 

In addition, the military council has also confined 1,588 children and women from Byai Phyu village in different monasteries in Sittwe City as human shields.

The involved soldiers in the killing mission were from the Sittwe-based Military Council’s regional command Headquarters (DAKS), soldiers from the Pakhouku-based 101 Division, some others were from withdrawing forces of other battalions which made up of around 170 troops including Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) and newly trained Muslim soldiers.

The military council-led troops cordoned off Byai Phyu village on May 29, to confine all the people in the village and they went frenzied with the blood of the villagers after committing a massacre, the Arakan army claimed in the press release.