Arakan Army captures junta outposts as fighting intensifies near Sittwe

By Admin 15 Oct 2026

DMG Newsroom

15 October 2026, Sittwe

Clashes between the military junta and the Arakan Army on the outskirts of Sittwe are rapidly expanding, with fighting reaching Yaychanpyin Village, according to military sources.

The fighting has expanded as the Arakan Army has shifted from defensive operations to offensives targeting the state capital, Sittwe, while junta forces have launched amphibious assaults on Ngapyi Island in Werathani Township.

During these offensives, the Arakan Army captured as many as nine junta outposts in Amyint Kyun and Yaychanpyin villages, located near the junction connecting Sittwe, Ponnagyun and Rathedaung townships, a military source confirmed.

“Arakan Army troops have captured nine junta outposts in Amyint Kyun and Yaychanpyin villages,” the source said. “However, ongoing junta airstrikes and heavy artillery shelling make it difficult to establish full control on the ground. Fighting in Sittwe remains intense.”

The captured positions include the police station in Amyint Kyun Village, along the Sittwe and Ponnagyun border, and outposts along the main road leading from Yaychanpyin Village into Sittwe. Arakan Army troops are engaging the remaining outposts as they advance toward the city center.

Military sources and residents added that junta forces are providing air support and firing heavy artillery at active battle zones and nearby villages in Ponnagyun Township, including Kuntaung and Tabethlwan.

“Fighting is concentrated around Yaychanpyin, Minchaung Bridge and Amyint Kyun,” said a male resident of Ponnagyun Township. “Junta aircraft are carrying out strikes along the border areas of Sittwe Township, and heavy artillery shelling was heard again today.”

As the Arakan Army shifts from defensive positions along the Sittwe and Ponnagyun border to offensives inside Sittwe, the military junta is deploying large numbers of reinforcements to maintain its defenses.

An analysis by the Institute for Strategy and Policy - Myanmar (ISP-Myanmar) highlighted the strategic importance of the Arakan front to the junta, noting that military operations there differ from those in other theaters and are likely to become increasingly brutal.

Active fighting is underway in at least six locations in the Sittwe area, involving intense ground engagements, artillery shelling, drone strikes and air support from both sides.

Military analysts view the Arakan Army's shift to offensives on multiple fronts as the beginning of the battle for control of Sittwe.

“Junta troops that had advanced toward Kuntaung Village in Ponnagyun since September 4 have fully retreated toward Amyint Kyun Village, including elements of the 101st Light Infantry Division,” military defector Captain Zin Yaw told DMG. “Simultaneously, the Arakan Army launched coordinated offensives across Amyint Kyun Bridge, Minchaung Bridge, Amyint Kyun and Wahbo villages.”

Amid escalating hostilities, daily junta airstrikes targeting townships near Sittwe, including Rathedaung, Ponnagyun and Werathani, continue to cause growing civilian casualties.