
Myanmar’s military and the Arakan Army (AA) are engaging in major clashes near the Dhanyawadi Naval Base in Rakhine State’s Kyaukphyu Township, according to local sources.
Fighting near the base—the largest in the state—began with a series of attacks on AA positions in the villages of Simaw and Kyattain on February 20, the sources said.
“The conflict has been ongoing from that day until now. The junta has been conducting airstrikes at least twice a day since the fighting began,” a local man told Myanmar Now on Monday.
Residents of several villages near the base, including Simaw, Kyattain, Sittaw, Shauk Chaung, Sayay, and Ukin, have fled the clashes, the man added.
On Saturday, at least one local civilian, a 70-year-old man named Bi Lu from Ukin, was killed by a junta airstrike, and a number of Simaw residents were also injured, according to the. . .