Religious Teacher Shot and Taken by Arakan Army in Northern Maungdaw

by Hafizur Rahman

Maungdaw North, Arakan State, April 20, 2026 — A local religious teacher was shot and taken by the Arakan Army on April 17 around 3:00 PM in Kyet Yoe Pyin village in northern Maungdaw Township.

According to local sources, more than 20 Arakan Army fighters entered the village, creating fear among Rohingya residents. They shot a young man, Malavi Mohammad Kawbir, multiple times before taking him away.

Malavi Mohammad Kawbir, son of U Abdul Kawrim, was a civilian who earned his living through fishing and farming. He also worked as a religious teacher at the village mosque. Residents said they do not know the reason behind his shooting and detention.

The Arakan Army accused him of having ties to the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. He was taken to a camp on a hilltop along the road between Ngan Chaung village and Kyet Yoe Pyin village.

Following the incident, more than 100 Arakan Army soldiers surrounded Kyet Yoe Pyin village and nearby areas, including Ngar Sar Kyu. Soldiers have been conducting house to house checks, increasing fear among residents.

Local people have called on the Arakan Army to stop targeting and detaining civilians, warning that such actions are worsening the humanitarian situation in the area.