With the launch of a major offensive against junta military and Border Guard Police positions in most parts of northern Rakhine State on Nov. 13, the Arakan Army (AA) ended a yearlong ceasefire brokered with the regime on humanitarian grounds in 2022.
Founded in 2009, the ethnic armed organization is the armed wing of the United League of Arakan and a member of the tripartite Brotherhood Alliance along with the Ta’ang National Liberation Army and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army.
By the time it resumed fighting in Rakhine State, the AA had already been fighting for a month alongside its fellow Brotherhood Alliance members and other resistance forces as part of Operation 1027, a major offensive against the junta’s military in northern Shan State. But its recent military actions are not limited to those two major offensives: The AA is also fighting the junta in other parts of the country, such as in Kachin State and Sagaing Region, coordinating with other armed groups including the Kachin Independence Army and the People’s Defense Force of the National Unity Government.
People across Myanmar have been inspired by the AA’s progress, first as it seized towns in northern Shan State, and more recently by its amazing series of triumphs in its own Rakhine State.
The momentum of the war against the junta in Rakhine has increased rapidly with the AA seizing outposts and bases from the junta’s military almost daily. The AA has even been able to seize towns that until recently were firmly under the control of the regime.
To date, the AA has seized nine towns in Rakhine and southern Chin State. In southern Chin, the AA seized the whole of Paletwa Township, and in Rakhine it has taken control of Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Minbya, Pauktaw and Ponnagyun townships.
In the above townships, the AA is in full control. It has also seized Taung Pyo Letwe town and Ramree town, but is still fighting to take control of the townships in which they are located—Buthidaung and Ramree, respectively.
In the past four months, the AA has seized hundreds of junta military and Border Guard Police outposts, strategic hilltop outposts and bases, including at least 16 major bases.
These include the bases of Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 550 and Infantry Battalion (IB) 270 in Ponnagyun; LIB 377, 378 and 540 in Mrauk-U; and LIB 380, 379 and 541 in Minbya. These were among the most important regime command centers in Rakhine State.
The major town of Kyauktaw is home to many junta bases and geographically important as it is a hub on the route linking Rakhine with Chin State through Paletwa Township. In Kyauktaw, the AA seized LIB 374, 375, 376 and 539 and Artillery Battalion 377.
The AA also captured LIB 308 and IB 289 in Paletwa Township in southern Chin State.
Apart from these major bases, the AA also seized the junta’s 9th Central Military Training School in Minbya Township. The school was administered by a brigadier general and many troops were stationed in the area at junta outposts that were also overrun.
Since the escalation in the fighting with the AA in Rakhine and southern Chin, over 700 junta military troops and Border Guard Police officers have fled into India and over 500 have fled into Bangladesh, exposing the internal crisis facing the Myanmar military.
On Rakhine State’s rivers the junta has deployed naval vessels, which shell civilian areas in towns and villages where the AA is attempting to take control. Many civilians have been killed as a result.
In response, the AA has destroyed at least seven junta navy combat boats and two landing craft in Rakhine in the past four months. Following these attacks, the AA has saved many junta military personnel from drowning after their boats were were sunk.
The AA has killed at least seven high-ranking officers of the junta’s military and arrested at least six others during the fighting.
During heavy clashes with the junta’s navy and army near Apauk Wa Village, Kyauktaw Township in February, AA fighters pulled Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, 51, the commander of the No. 9 Military Operations Command (MOC 9), and some of his troops from the river.
The AA was unable to save some soldiers, including high-ranking officers, wounded in other clashes. Colonel Min Min Tun, commander of the 11th Light Infantry Division, was among them. In the second week of December, after mounting a successful offensive against junta military strongholds, the AA found the body of Lieutenant Colonel Banyar Paing Soe, the commander of the strategic Hnonebu hilltop outpost in Paletwa Township.
Other high-ranking officers whom the AA has confirmed dead include Major Kyaw Thet Naing, commander of a column; Lieutenant Colonel Ye Htut Win, the administrating commander of the No. 9 Advanced Military Training School; Colonel Myo Min Ko Ko, strategic commander of LIB 550; Lieutenant Colonel Phyo Thu Aung, commander of IB 208; and Major Saw Htwe of LID 550.
Major Thant Zin Tun, deputy commander of LIB 344; Lieutenant Colonel Nyi Nyi Win from MOC 9; Lieutenant Colonel Nay Lin Tun and Major Zaw Lin Tun from IB 299; and Major Thein Htike Soe, squadron officer of LIB 378, are among those captured by the AA during its operations.
During the past four months of fighting with the junta’s military, the AA has also seized a massive amount of weapons and ammunition. The arms found in these enormous caches range from pistols to heavy rocket launchers. The seized ammunition ranges from small caliber bullets to artillery shells of over 100 mm. The AA was also able to shoot down a military transport helicopter during the fierce fighting in Paletwa.
At this moment, the fighting continues to escalate as the AA attempts to seize and take control of the entirety of northern Rakhine. Intense clashes continued to erupt this week, especially in Maungdaw, Rathedaung and Buthidaung, while heavy fighting has also been reported in Ramree and Kyaukphyu. At the time of the 2014 census, Rakhine had a population of 3.1 million. According to figures from the UNHCR, as of March 4, the number of internally displaced persons in the state had passed 350,900.