Undefined Explosive Device (UED) event in Rakhine, Maungdaw Township area, Myanmar on Thu 20th August 2026

A remnant explosive device detonated in Maungdaw Township, Rakhine (Arakan) State, on Thursday morning, injuring 10 children who mistook the ordnance for a toy.

The incident occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. on August 20 in an empty yard. The victims, aged between 5 and 10 years old, include five children from Inn Din village and five from neighboring Payon village.

Local sources identified the injured as Maung Min Myat Thaki, Ma Moe Shwe Pan, Ma Sein Yat Oo, Ma Moe Nwe Oo, Maung Moe Aung Htay, Maung Khaing Thu Rein Htun, Maung Pyae San Kyaw Swar, Maung Aung Hein Htet, Maung Aung Nyein Htet, and Maung Myat Lin Aung.

Because schools were closed for a public holiday, the children were playing together when they discovered an object resembling a fruit.

"The children were playing and found it somewhere, though we don't know exactly where," a village elder from Inn Din told Narinjara News. "They mistook it for a fruit and smashed it, which triggered the explosion."

Eight of the victims, seven boys and one girl, are currently receiving emergency medical treatment. Several children sustained critical injuries, and local community leaders expressed deep concern over the medical costs facing the victims' impoverished families.

"Many of these families are completely helpless because the parents are poor," the village elder added. "We are currently trying to figure out how we can assist them."

Maungdaw Township has seen heavy fighting during recent battles led by the Arakan Army (AA) to seize control of the area from the military junta. While the AA has been actively conducting demining and clearance operations, unexploded ordnance (UXO) and landmines remain a severe threat to local residents.

According to data compiled by Narinjara News, an independent news agency covering the conflict-torn region, explosive remnants of war (ERW) continue to inflict heavy civilian casualties.

In January and February of this year alone, landmines and UXOs killed three civilians and injured six others in Maungdaw. In 2025, the region recorded 21 civilian deaths and 81 injuries due to similar explosive remnants. Photo- ABN