Civilians Abducted by ARSA in Maungdaw Area Later Released Under Unclear Circumstances
Several civilians abducted by the terrorist Muslim armed group Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) in Maungdaw Township have later been released under circumstances that remain unclear, according to local sources.
Those abducted were identified as 38-year-old Khaing Khaing Soe, her nine-year-old son Maung Wai Yan Lin, and 32-year-old Thandar Soe. They were among a group seized by ARSA militants while attempting to travel toward Bangladesh for medical treatment.
The incident occurred on January 4, when five residents from the Maungdaw area, accompanied by three Bangladeshi guides, were traveling near the Myanmar–Bangladesh border. Near Border Pillar BP-42, the group was intercepted by five armed ARSA members and forcibly taken away.
Later that night, two male abductees, identified as U Kyaw and U Yan Naung Soe, managed to escape during gunfire. However, the two women and the child were taken to an ARSA camp. The three Bangladeshi guides were subsequently allowed to leave and were released by ARSA on the morning of January 5.
According to information received from local communities, the abducted women and the child were later allowed to leave ARSA custody on January 6 and have since reached a secure location. It remains unknown whether ransom was paid or what conditions led to their release.
Local residents speculate that mediation efforts involving UNHCR and Bangladesh’s Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) may have played a role, though no official confirmation has been issued by either organization.
ARSA has been widely accused of collaborating with Myanmar’s military junta in operations targeting the Arakan Army (AA), while also reportedly receiving support from networks based in Bangladesh. The group continues to conduct ambushes, abductions, and cross-border incursions in the Maungdaw region.
Community members further report that armed Muslim groups operating along the border have been entering villages in northern Maungdaw Township, abducting civilians, abusing residents, and coercively recruiting locals, contributing to growing insecurity and fear among the local population.
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