Fighting continues on Ngapyi Island as junta troops remain trapped

By Admin 22 Oct 2026

DMG Newsroom

22 October 2026, Werathani

Fierce clashes continued for a second consecutive day on Ngapyi Island in Werathani Township near Sittwe on October 22, with remnants of a military junta amphibious assault force still trapped on the island, according to local sources.

Military sources reported that some junta troops who managed to land on the island remained stranded as intense fighting continued across the area.

“Some remnant junta troops are still trapped on the island, and the fighting is extremely intense,” a frontline military source said. “The military junta is relying heavily on close air support and heavy artillery fire.”

The military junta dispatched special commando units aboard naval vessels from Shwe Min Gan Naval Base in Sittwe in an amphibious assault aimed at capturing Ngapyi Island. The landing force has reportedly suffered heavy casualties in ground combat.

Arakan Army spokesperson U Khaing Thukha said naval vessels attempting to approach Ngapyi Island were hit by heavy artillery fire from the Arakan Army, causing casualties among junta personnel both onshore and in the water. Several junta troops also surrendered.

“The regime tried to make an amphibious landing expecting Ngapyi Island would be easy to take,” U Khaing Thukha told The Irrawaddy in an interview. “Instead, fierce battles broke out, naval vessels caught fire, troops were killed, and those who landed were captured. It is an endless cycle for them. Things did not go as they anticipated.”

The military junta has made repeated attempts to land troops on Ngapyi Island since October 7, including a coordinated assault backed by airstrikes on October 19.

“At night, junta aircraft bomb the area continuously,” a local man in Werathani said. “Even near our homes, buildings shake from the impact, and we hear heavy weapons fire, though we cannot pinpoint the exact locations.”

Ngapyi Island lies between Sittwe, the junta’s last remaining urban stronghold in northern Arakan State, and areas controlled by the Arakan Army. Both sides are fighting fiercely for control of the island.

Military analysts monitoring the conflict in Arakan State view the battle for Ngapyi Island as a strategic move by the Arakan Army to draw out and weaken junta forces as part of its wider offensive against Sittwe.

“In reality, the battle for Ngapyi Island is a trap set by the Arakan Army,” a military observer in Arakan State said. “It is an Arakan Army strategy to draw out and annihilate the regime's forces stationed at the Shwe Min Gan Naval Base in Sittwe by luring them onto the island. You can see this clearly from the new tactical routes the Arakan Army has opened up through Amyint Kyun and Yaychanpyin villages north of Sittwe.”

While fighting continues on Ngapyi Island, the Arakan Army has also opened new fronts near the Regional Operations Command, Amyint Kyun, Pardaleik and Yaychanpyin villages in Sittwe Township.

The military junta launched a multi front offensive on September 4 to push into Arakan Army controlled territory. The campaign, referred to as “Operation 4926” by pro junta media influencers, was aimed at regaining lost ground.

However, after suffering heavy casualties and setbacks in Ponnagyun Township, the military shifted its offensive focus in the first week of October to Ngapyi Island in Werathani Township.