Fierce fighting breaks out near Myanmar naval base in Rakhine

Major clashes broke out in Rakhine State’s Kyaukphyu Township on Monday following an Arakha Army (AA) attack on regime forces near the state’s largest naval base, according to local sources. The fighting began after the AA intercepted a column of about 100 junta soldiers as they were leaving the Danyawaddy naval base at around 7am, the sources said. The AA previously attacked the base in January of this year. The incident occurred near Thaing Chaung, a village located about 12 miles south of the town of Kyaukphyu, a local man familiar with the situation told Myanmar Now. “The junta column was on its way to the town. The attack resulted in the death of about 10 troops,” the man said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Among the casualties were a number of Muslim men recently trained by the military to help it resist the AA’s ongoing offensive in the state, he added. Regime troops based in or near Kyaukphyu responded to the ambush by firing heavy artillery. The intense shelling continued late into the night, according to residents of the town. The outbreak of fighting near Kyaukphyu comes a week after a three-day visit to the area by a Chinese embassy delegation sent to assess the impact of the conflict on a pipeline and other projects financed by China. China has attempted to mediate to end the fighting, but at a press conference held on June 8, AA spokesperson Khaing Thukha said that reaching a ceasefire remains “very challenging” due to the regime’s targeting of civilians. Since last November, the AA has seized control of nine of Rakhine State’s 17 townships, as well as Paletwa Township in southern Chin State. A source close to the AA said that the group has no immediate plans to try to capture Kyaukphyu, but would continue launching attacks on the junta’s remaining bases in the area. Meanwhile, in Taungup Township, south of Kyaukphyu, three civilians were killed by an airstrike on the village of Kan Seik Taung on Monday, according to locals. One of the victims was a woman in her 70s and another was a girl who had recently passed her matriculation exams, a resident of the village told Myanmar Now. “There was no fighting anywhere near here, so they were just targeting civilians,” he said, adding that the bombing also injured seven people. Since fighting broke out in Taungup on Saturday, the junta has ramped up its attacks on local villages, using artillery, warplanes, and drones, according to residents.

Fierce fighting breaks out near Myanmar naval base in Rakhine

The clashes near the Danyawaddy naval base in Kyaukphyu Township came after an AA attack that left 10 junta troops dead

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