United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has expressed deep concern over reports of continuous military air strikes by Myanmar in villages located in Rakhine state. Locals said as quoted by AFP, more than 20 individuals were reportedly killed in the attacks on Monday.

Since November, Myanmar's western Rakhine state has been experiencing clashes following an attack by the Arakan Army (AA) on security forces, which effectively terminated a ceasefire that had been in place since the military coup in 2021.

On Monday, a spokesperson for the UN chief said that Guterres is "alarmed by reports of ongoing air strikes by the military, including today in Minbya township that reportedly killed and injured many civilians."

An airstrike struck the village of Thar Dar around 1:45 am on Monday, resulting in the deaths of 10 men, four women, and 10 children, according to a resident as quoted by AFP.

'Piles of corpses'

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It is worth noting that Thar Dar is located in Minbya township situated east of the state capital Sittwe, which has faced significant isolation due to recent activities by AA fighters. "There was no fighting in our village and they bombed us," he said, asking for anonymity for security reasons.

Another resident, who also requested anonymity, reported that 23 individuals lost their lives in the explosion, with 18 others sustaining injuries.

The ongoing conflict in Rakhine has led to the displacement of tens of thousands of people, particularly since a military crackdown in 2017 forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh.

Communication with the riverine region has become exceedingly challenging as most mobile networks are out of service.

While the junta troops maintain control of Sittwe, recent weeks have seen AA fighters advancing in surrounding districts. The conflict has also extended into neighboring India and Bangladesh.

In a recent incident, mortar shells fired from Myanmar during clashes spilled over the border into Bangladesh, resulting in the deaths of at least two individuals.

The AA represents just one of the numerous armed ethnic minority factions situated in Myanmar's border areas. Since gaining independence from Britain in 1948, many of these groups have engaged in battles with the military, primarily concerning issues of autonomy and control over valuable resources.