Arakan News Agency
The Myanmar Army withdrew dozens of soldiers from conflict-torn northern Arakan State’s Maungdaw district on Wednesday, the Office of the Commander in Chief announced on its official Facebook page.
The army decreased its operations after Sept. 5, the statement said, as Maungdaw district recovered from conflicts in August and the Myanmar Army pulled back troops from the region to be formed as an auxiliary force in state capital Sittwe.
The statement did not mention, however, the number of soldiers as well as the relevant infantry unit.
The military provided four pictures under the statement which captured the arrival of army soldiers in a navy ship as well as several military trucks in capital Sittwe.
An intelligence source based in Arakan told The Irrawaddy that around 200 soldiers returned and at least one hundred soldiers may now remain in Maungdaw district.
The announcement of withdrawal by the military came two days after the U.S. State Department announced it would suspend travel waivers on Myanmar’s senior army generals as well as other responsible officials.
During a press briefing of US State Department’s deputy secretary Patrick Murphy on Oct. 24, he said: “We also want accountability for atrocities. As we announced last night, we have identified new and ongoing action to hold responsible those who have committed violence, including following measures, suspending travel weavers for military leaders, accessing existing authorities to consider options to target individual responsible for atrocities.”
