Myanmar junta destroys villages as intense clashes continue near Sittwe and Kyaukphyu

Fierce fighting continued in Rakhine State on Friday, amid reports of hundreds of homes being destroyed by junta attacks on villages near the state capital Sittwe and the port town of Kyaukphyu.In Wabo, a village about five miles north of Sittwe, a relentless assault by regime forces that began on Thursday burned at least 35 houses to the ground, according to a local resident.“There was heavy artillery fire all through the day yesterday, and then from evening until this morning,” the resident said, speaking to Myanmar Now on Friday.In Kyaukphyu Township, junta drone strikes had an even more devastating impact on U Gine, a village about four miles southwest of the Dhanyawadi Naval Base.No casualties were reported in either location, however, as residents of both areas had fled to avoid the hostilities.Meanwhile, the Arakan Army (AA), which now controls most of Rakhine State, has been shelling military bases in Sittwe Township, specifically targeting the Shwe Min Gan Naval Base and the villages of Ahmyint Kyun, Yay Chan Pyin, and Padalit.In response, the junta forces have retaliated with airstrikes, drone attacks, and artillery shelling.A source close to the AA leadership described the ongoing battles as “both sides engaging in relentless attacks.”The clashes in Sittwe have escalated since the AA launched an initial artillery attack on junta bases in the area on February 7. The fighting in Kyaukphyu Township has been ongoing since the military carried out a series of attacks on AA positions near the villages of Simaw and Shauk Chaung on February 20. However, residents say that junta troops stationed near these villages have now retreated.The AA and allied forces have also launched attacks on junta bases in Ayeyarwady, Magway, and Sagaing regions, even as the AA presses ahead with its campaign to take full control of Rakhine State.Currently, AA-led forces are advancing into Thabaung Township in Ayeyarwady Region, targeting Light Infantry Battalion 308 while also attacking Artillery Battalion 344. The AA resumed fighting in Rakhine State in November 2023 as part of Operation 1027, a major offensive launched the previous month by allied ethnic armed groups based in northern Shan State.The group has since captured 14 out of 17 townships in Rakhine State, leaving only Sittwe, Kyaukphyu and Manaung townships still under regime control.Besides being the seat of the junta’s administration in Rakhine State, Sittwe is also the site of large-scale Indian investment projects. The deep-sea port at Kyaukphyu hosts major Chinese-backed infrastructure projects, including a multibillion-dollar special economic zone.

Myanmar junta destroys villages as intense clashes continue near Sittwe and Kyaukphyu

Myanmar’s military and the Arakan Army have both been carrying out relentless attacks near the two centres, which are among just three in Rakhine State still under junta control

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