Naf River Massacre: Arakan Army killed at Least 200 Rohingya Civilians, Says Activist

Arakan Now | 5 August 2025

Arakan Army killed at least 200 Rohingya civilians on 5 August 2024 in Maungdaw Township, according to Rohingya activist Nay San Lwin.

Arakan Now spoke with Omar Faruk, a family member of the victims. He described the incident in detail:

“On the evening of August 5, 2024, the Arakan Army launched a brutal attack on Foyazi Fara. As villagers ran for their lives, they tried to escape toward the Naf River. But they were trapped, unable to cross into Bangladesh because of the river, and unable to return because armed groups blocked the way.”

According to Faruk, the Arakan Army used drones and artillery shells to fire on the civilians.

“They knew there were no military forces present. Still, they targeted innocent Rohingya. Seventeen members of my family were killed. Many others were injured or killed.”

Faruk said one of his brothers survived by hiding in the mud among the dead bodies.

“He lay there silently and could hear the voices of the Arakan Army. The rebels ordered their fighters to kill everyone, no one was spared, not even the children.”

“After the attack ended and the rebels left, he managed to return to the village.”

The killings have raised new concerns about the safety of Rohingya civilians in northern Arakan, where several such mass killings have taken place since 2024.