Arakan Army intensifies assaults on junta bases in Rakhine and Ayeyarwady

The Arakan Army (AA) launched a heavy artillery assault on an important infantry battalion positioned next to the airport in Kyaukpyu town, Rakhine State, on Sunday night, intensifying its campaign against key junta positions.At the same time, the AA, an ethnic armed group fighting for greater autonomy in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, continued sustained attacks on Artillery Battalion 344 in Yegyi Township, Ayeyarwady Region. The offensive has forced the military unit to withdraw and redeploy its heavy weapons after facing relentless pressure since June 12, according to local sources. At approximately 8pm on Sunday night, at least three explosions from artillery were heard near the military Light Infantry Battalion 34, or LIB 34, a local resident told Myanmar Now. The explosions occurred close to the entrance, adjacent to Kyaukpyu Prison and the junta's General Administration Department office, he said. "People in that area saw smoke rising," the Kyaukpyu man said. The attack could have been carried out with heavy artillery or drones, he speculated. Details about casualties from the explosions were not yet known, nor was it clear which side conducted the attack, he said. Due to the explosions, some residents living near LIB 34 have relocated. Heavy weapon fire was heard from 5:30am until noon on Monday near the police battalion on the outskirts of town, another resident said. Fierce clashes have raged since early June near Police Battalion 32, about seven miles from Kyaukpyu town. Both the Arakan Army and the junta have remained silent on the fighting in Kyaukpyu Township—home to major Chinese projects—and AA spokesperson Khaing Thukha has not responded to requests for comment. If the blast at the LIB-34 gate was carried out by the AA, it may signal the start of urban warfare operations, according to a source close to Rakhine security circles. "Whether it hits or misses, if AA is firing, it's a challenge," the source added. In Kyaukpyu town, LIB-34, LIB 542 and 543 and the Dhanyawadi naval base headquarters are stationed. Additionally, at least eight other units including communications and military security units are based in Kyaukpyu. Of the 17 townships in Rakhine State, the AA has captured and controls all 14 townships except for the state capital Sittwe, Kyaukpyu, and Manaung.Attacks on key junta battalion in Yegyi Since June 12, the Arakan Army has renewed its offensive on Artillery Battalion 344 in Yegyi Township, Ayeyarwady Region.Last week, AA forces and allied groups seized the battalion’s defensive outposts near Myauksam village along the key Gwa-Ngathaingchaung road linking Rakhine Yoma to Ayeyarwady. They are now advancing on the battalion’s main headquarters, a strategic stronghold, according to a resistance source. "The main defensive positions have been captured by AA and resistance forces,” the resistance source said. “The junta’s Artillery Battalion 344 has moved some heavy weapons to LIB 36, based in Kyonpyaw, which sits about 23 miles from Myauksam village. They are preparing defensive positions in Kyonpyaw town.” He added that if the resistance captures the junta’s artillery battalion, they would be able to fully control the Pathein-Monywa road section that connects Ayeyarwady Region, Bago Region, and Magway Region. The AA and allied forces began offensive operations against the battalion early this year. But after the March 28 earthquake, fighting in that area has slowed, then increasing again from mid June. After its key heavy weapons positions came under attack, the junta’s battalion relocated their artillery the following day, local sources said. The exact number of weapons moved remains unclear.On the morning of June 13, vehicles transporting heavy artillery arrived at LIB 36 in Nyaungpinseik village near Kyonpyaw Township. Residents in nearby villages were reportedly ordered to evacuate, according to a local resident. "Yesterday (June 15), the junta’s regional commander came,” he said. “They announced to the villages near LIB 36 that they should evacuate if they felt fear because they'll be testing heavy weapons.” Some residents near LIB 36 are evacuating as the battalion reinforces the artillery unit and junta airstrikes continue daily, Narinjara News reported on June 16. The junta has blocked key routes near Ngathaingchaung and launched Four Cuts operations along the Ngawun River’s western bank, said AYU spokesperson Jonathan, who goes by only one name. "The army has also established positions at the village monastery in Dauntgyi village and is preparing defensive positions,” Jonathan said. “In Ngathaingchaung town and Yegyi, they're checking household-member lists of young people, forcing some to serve as porters, and sending them to the front lines.” "Mainly, villages near the battle areas have to flee from war. There are about 200 IDPs who have moved to Ngathaingchaung, Yegyi, and Kyonpyaw. People from other villages have fled to nearby forest areas and near the foothills of the Rakhine Yoma Mountain Range." Fighting has displaced more civilians in Ngathaingchaung, Yegyi, and Kyonpyaw towns, where food and medicine are urgently needed, according to Jonathan. Since early this year, the AA and other resistance groups have seized several outposts along the Rakhine coast. The powerful ethnic armed group is now advancing into Ayeyarwady Region. The AA coalition is pushing into Ngathaingchaung, Yegyi, Lemyethna, and Ingapu townships. In March, their attacks on villages in Lemyethna forced junta troops to withdraw, prompting daily junta airstrikes. The Yegyi Township People's Defense Organization (PDO) has announced that the roads connected to the Gwa-Ngathaingchaung road have been closed by the junta. Since launching its offensive on November 13, 2023, and after capturing the majority of townships in Rakhine and one in Chin State, the AA is also expanding operations into border areas of Ayeyarwady, Magway, and Bago regions near the Rakhine Yoma hills.The Arakan Army’s sustained and expanding offensives highlight its growing strategic reach. Sources say the AA will continue to challenge junta control beyond Rakhine, indicating an intensified conflict across multiple regions.

Arakan Army intensifies assaults on junta bases in Rakhine and Ayeyarwady

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