Arakan Army accused of abducting three Rohingya girls, including newlywed, for military recruitment

Three Rohingya girls, including a young woman who had been married only two days earlier, were forcibly abducted from their homes in Wara Kyun village in Buthidaung Township, northern Rakhine State, and taken for military recruitment by the Arakan Army (AA), according to local residents and community sources.

The victims were identified as Minara, daughter of U Halu; a girl identified as the daughter of Rahmatullah; and another girl whose name has not yet been confirmed. All three are residents of Wara Kyun village.

Local sources told reporters that armed members of the AA entered the village and took the girls from their homes without prior warning. The abductees are believed to be currently held at an AA camp located in Kintaung village in Buthidaung Township.

One of the victims, Minara, had been married on February 16, 2026. According to a local source, she was forcibly taken from her adoptive father’s house on February 18, only two days after the wedding ceremony.

Residents allege that the girls are being forced to participate in military training at the camp. According to one local source, the recruits are reportedly required to wear shorts during training and have been subjected to treatment described as humiliating and uncomfortable.

“There are also rumors circulating among villagers that some of the girls may be facing sexual abuse,” the source said. The allegations, however, could not be independently verified.

Rising reports of forced recruitment

Community members and local observers say incidents of forced recruitment and abduction targeting Rohingya civilians have increased in recent weeks in Buthidaung Township and surrounding areas.

Several villagers told KPN that young Rohingya men and women have been taken from villages or pressured to join armed groups amid the ongoing conflict in northern Rakhine State.

The rise in such incidents has heightened fear among the remaining Rohingya population in the area. Some families are reportedly considering leaving their homes to avoid possible recruitment or detention.

Conflict context in northern Rakhine

Buthidaung and neighboring Maungdaw townships have experienced escalating instability as clashes between Myanmar’s military authorities and the Arakan Army continue to reshape control across large parts of northern Rakhine State.

Human rights observers warn that Rohingya communities trapped between competing armed forces remain highly vulnerable to abuses including forced recruitment, arbitrary detention, and displacement.

Local analysts say the increasing reports of recruitment and abductions could further worsen insecurity and accelerate the displacement of Rohingya civilians who have already endured years of conflict and persecution in the region.