Arakan Army allies capture 14 Myanmar junta soldiers in Magway Region ambush

An armed group allied with the Arakan Army (AA) claimed on Thursday that it captured 14 junta soldiers last week on a key route linking Rakhine State to Magway Region. In a statement, the Student Armed Force said that it ambushed the regime troops on the Ann-Padan road in Magway’s Ngape Township on November 23. The soldiers, led by Major Zaw Htet Naung, were intercepted while retreating from their position near the Rakhine State town of Ann, home to the junta’s Western Regional Military Command (RMC) headquarters, the group said. It added that medical assistance was provided to the captives. Due to ongoing communication disruptions in Rakhine, further details about the incident remain unclear. As a vital supply route for the Western RMC, the Ann-Padan road—linking Ann to Minbu in Magway Region—has become a major target of groups opposed to the regime. The Chin Defence Force-Asho, another anti-junta group, reported clashes on Monday near Goke Gyi, a village in Ngape Township that is also located on the road near the Rakhine border. “Both air and ground transport are being used to reinforce Ann Township. At least four attempts have been made to send ground reinforcements via the Ann-Padan road during November,” said a representative of another group active in the area, the People’s Revolution Alliance-Magway. However, resistance forces continue to target junta convoys, disrupting the flow of reinforcements and leading to frequent clashes along the route. Fighting in Ann Township has intensified since September, when the AA launched attacks on junta bases there. The AA has captured at least eight junta battalion bases in the township. Last week, the group also claimed full control of Taungup, 85 miles south of Ann, after seizing 10 junta positions. Three remaining junta bases near the town are under attack, sources there said. Since launching a major offensive in November of last year, the AA has captured 10 of Rakhine State’s 17 townships.

Arakan Army allies capture 14 Myanmar junta soldiers in Magway Region ambush

The ambush occurred on a key supply route for the regime that has become a focus of recent attacks by resistance forces

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