Activists working on behalf of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya minority say "hundreds" of refugees were killed on August 5 when they were bombed while trying to cross the river marking the border with Bangladesh. Many of the Rohingya in Myanmar’s Rakhine state had sought refuge in Maungdaw, a town on the river. The town, still in the hands of the Myanmar government, has become a death trap for civilians as rebels lay siege. Our team analysed images of the massacre and spoke to a survivor. While the origin of the strike is still unknown, we were able to determine that dozens were indeed killed, including seven siblings from the same family.
Maungdaw, a town on the banks of the Naf river, which marks the border between Myanmar and Bangladesh, is one of the last bastions of Myanmar government forces in the state of Rakhine, which has otherwise been taken over by rebels. The town is being held by soldiers from the Myanmar Army as well as several Rohingya militia groups (RSO, ARSA). Since April, however, the town has been completely encircled and under siege by rebels from the rebel Arakan Army.
