As preventing intensified between Myanmar’s junta and insurgent forces for management of a key township in western Rakhine, dramatic footage of troops storming a helicopter was unfold by anti-junta Fb pages that falsely claimed it confirmed a navy helicopter ambushed within the restive state. Nevertheless, the video reveals an assault in Pinlebu in northwestern Myanmar. Native media reported that the navy chopper was focused by forces loyal to Myanmar’s opposition authorities.
“Footage of an MI-17 helicopter carrying terrorist troops being shot down,” Burmese information outlet “AK-Media Reside” posted to its 44,000 Fb followers on October 31.
It shared footage of a helicopter below hearth at because it hovers above a grassy space. When it lands, dozens of troopers rush aboard. Moments later, an explosion erupts subsequent to the chopper.
“AK-Media Reside” helps the Arakan Military (AA), an ethnic armed group waging struggle in opposition to Myanmar’s junta to carve out its personal autonomous homeland.
The Southeast Asian nation has been in turmoil for the reason that navy ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected authorities in 2021.
The junta’s brutal crackdown on anti-coup protesters has pressured hundreds of youth into the newly based “Folks’s Defence Forces” and reignited preventing with ethnic armed teams.
The Fb submit claimed the video was shot in Ann in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, which has seen intense preventing because the AA steps up efforts to grab the township — the headquarters of the junta’s Western Regional Army Command.
The video was circulated by varied anti-junta accounts in October, together with right here and right here.
Nevertheless, the video was in truth filmed months earlier in Pinlebu township in northwestern Myanmar — not in Ann.
Army base assault
Key phrases searches on Google discovered related footage of the chopper storming printed by Burmese information outlet Mizzima on August 9 (archived hyperlink).
“Army helicopter attacked in Pinlebu, 7 lifeless and 17 wounded,” the headline learn.
Pinlebu is a strategic gateway to Myanmar’s northeastern area.
In response to the report, the footage was filmed on July 6 and printed by Myanmar’s opposition Nationwide Unity Authorities — which consists principally of lawmakers ousted within the 2021 coup.
AFP confirmed the video was filmed in Pinlebu township by evaluating the aerial footage in Mizzima’s report back to Google Maps imagery of the realm (archived hyperlink).
A white monument seen at first of the video shared on Fb will be seen in information reviews about skirmishes round Pinlebu in October, a couple of months after the chopper assault (archived hyperlink).
The monument can also be seen on Google Maps, which identifies it as Monument Hill.
After months of intense preventing, Pinlebu was reportedly captured by Nationwide Unity Authorities forces on October 8 (archived hyperlink).
AFP has fact-checked a wave of misinformation across the unrest in Myanmar right here.
