AA continues push to take Sittwe, as Myanmar junta presses offensive near Kyaukphyu

The Arakan Army (AA) says it is continuing to engage in major clashes with Myanmar’s military near two key locations in Rakhine State—the capital Sittwe and the major port town of Kyaukphyu.The battle for Sittwe, which began with attacks on junta bases on February 7, has shown no signs of abating, with fighting now centred on War Bo, a village located less than six miles north of the capital, according to AA spokesperson Khaing Thukha.The AA is targeting multiple regime positions around Sittwe, including a naval base near the Shwe Min Gan port, just outside of the town, as well as several other villages to the north, including Ahmyint Kyun and Yay Chan Pyin, he added.As the AA offensive moves forward, the junta is resisting strongly with its ground, navy, and air forces, Khaing Thukha told Myanmar Now on Monday.Meanwhile, the regime is also using all means at its disposal to press ahead with its own offensive near Kyaukphyu, which it launched on February 20 with attacks on AA positions near the Dhanyawadi Naval Base, the largest in Rakhine State.Over the past week, the key battlegrounds have been near the villages of Simaw and Shauk Chaung, south of the town of Kyaukphyu, according to Khaing Thukha.“The junta is using heavy artillery and air support, including drone attacks, to wage an intense offensive, resulting in continuous fighting around those villages,” he said.Due to the fighting and the threat of airstrikes, residents of several other villages, including Sit Taw, Simaw, Shauk Chaung, Saing Chon, Saing Chon Dain, Kat Tha Pyay, Pyar Tae, Kyaktain, Ukin, and Doe Ma Taung have been forced to flee their homes, he added.Since the AA began fighting for full control of Rakhine State in November 2023, the junta has restricted the movement of locals between towns via both land and water routes. This has left many, including residents of both Sittwe and Kyaukphyu, trapped.The two towns are of major strategic importance. Sittwe hosts a cargo port that is part of the Indian-financed Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, while Kyaukphyu serves as the western terminus of oil and gas pipelines to China. It also has a Chinese-backed special economic zone centred around its port.The AA currently controls 14 of Rakhine State’s 17 townships, with only Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, and Manaung still in junta hands.As the regime struggles to maintain a foothold in Rakhine State, the AA and its allies are also making inroads into central Myanmar, with attacks on junta outposts in parts of Magway, Ayeyarwady, and Bago regions bordering Rakhine State.

AA continues push to take Sittwe, as Myanmar junta presses offensive near Kyaukphyu

The two towns are among only three still under regime control in Rakhine State

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