Hundreds of BGF troops flee Maungdaw Twsp base

By Admin 31 Jul 2024

DMG Newsroom
31 July 2024, Maungdaw

Fighting between the military and Arakkha Army (AA) is escalating in Maungdaw, Arakan State, and hundreds of junta soldiers from Border Guard Force (BGF) Battalion No. 5 in Maungdaw’s Myothugyi Ward have abandoned their outpost, according to military sources.

The AA launched an attack on the military’s BGF Battalion No. 5 on July 29 and hundreds of junta soldiers retreated from their camp on July 30, a military source said.

“Around 300 junta soldiers retreated from BGF Battalion No. 5 to Maungdaw [Town]. About 200 junta soldiers defended against the AA attack at BGF Battalion No. 5. Fighting between the AA and military is fierce and some armed Muslim men have joined the military in fighting against the AA,” the military source told DMG on Wednesday morning.

Armed Muslim groups are also counter-attacking the AA in cooperation with the regime, which is simultaneously firing heavy weapons from warships and providing aerial support.

“Junta jet fighters have been firing on AA positions since early this morning. Myanmar Navy vessels in the Naf River also fired multiple mortar shells on the AA positions,”  said a reliable source. “Some junta soldiers were reportedly captured alive by the AA and many junta soldiers were wounded in the battle. I don’t know exactly the number of junta soldiers injured in the fighting.”

With BGF Battalion No. 5 besieged, the regime has sent reinforcements to Maungdaw to defend against the AA onslaught.

According to a report from Burma News International – Myanmar Peace Monitor, the regime and the AA clashed 21 times in Arakan State between July 3 and 16, the largest number of clashes recorded in the 11 regions and states monitored during that period.

The regime is using civilians as human shields to defend Maungdaw, the report said.

Residents said that the regime has intentionally destroyed roads and bridges around Maungdaw and has carried out drone attacks on both AA positions and civilian targets.