Incident Summary:

12/31/2019: Assailants abducted 16 Road Transport Administration Department employees from a ferry between Sittwe and Buthidaung in Rakhine, Myanmar. The hostages were released on January 1, 2020. The Arakan Army (AA) claimed responsibility and stated that the kidnappings were conducted in order to levy taxes on businesses for the people Rakhine state.

GTD ID:
201912310025

When:
2019-12-31

Country:
Myanmar

Region:
Southeast Asia

Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:

Rakhine

City:
Unknown

Location Details:
The incident occurred between Buthidaung and Sittwe.

Attack Information
Type of Attack (more) Hostage Taking (Kidnapping)
Successful Attack? (more) Yes
Target Information (more)
Target Type: Government (General)
Name of Entity Ministry of Transport and Communications
Specific Description Road Administration Department Employees
Nationality of Target Myanmar
Additional Information
Hostages Yes
Number of Hostages 16
US Hostages 0
Days of Kidnapping 1
Outcome Hostage(s) released by perpetrators
Ransom No
Property Damage No
Weapon Information
Type Sub-type
Unknown
Additional Information
Suicide Attack?No
Part of Multiple Incident?No
Criterion 1 (more) Yes
Criterion 2 (more) Yes
Criterion 3 (more) Yes
Doubt Terrorism Proper (more) No
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name Claimed Responsibility
Arakan Army (AA) Yes (Confirmed: Unknown; Mode: Unknown)
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators Unknown
Number of Captured Perpetrators 0
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties 0 Fatalities / 0 Injured
Total Number of Fatalities 0
Number of U.S. Fatalities 0
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities 0
Total Number of Injured 0
Number of U.S. Injured 0
Number of Perpetrators Injured 0
Sources
"Arakan Army abducts 16 drivers," Mizzima, January 1, 2020.
"Arakan Army Seizes Ferry, Unveils Taxation Agency, in Myanmar’s Rakhine State," Radio Free Asia, December 31, 2019.
"Myanmar (Burma): AA releases sixteen drivers from Road Dept," Thai News Service, January 2, 2020.