AA confirms capture of fleeing junta commander

By Admin 10 Dec 2024

DMG Newsroom
10 December 2024, Maungdaw

The Arakkha Army (AA) said the ethnic armed group has arrested Brigadier-General Thurein Tun, commander of the 15th Military Operations Command based in Buthidaung, along with dozens of troops under his command.

The AA took control of the military regime’s Border Guard Force Battalion No. 5 on December 8 and detained Brigadier-General Thurein Tun, who was attempting to flee the border guard force base, said U Khaing Thukha, spokesperson for the AA.

“Brigadier-General Thurein Tun, commander of the 15th Military Operations Command, was arrested while attempting to flee the battle,” he confirmed.

Brigadier-General Thurein Tun fled to Maungdaw after the AA seized control of Buthidaung on May 18, 2024.

After Border Guard Force Battalion No. 5 fell to the AA, Brigadier-General Thurein Tun and scores of junta soldiers and Muslim armed men sought to flee but were captured by the AA near a cashew farm in Maungdaw.

“The AA’s military strategy is well-developed when it comes to capturing junta commanders. The AA’s capture of Brigadier-General Thurein Tun, commander of the 15th Military Operations Command, is one of the highest-ranking Myanmar military officers in Maungdaw. His capture will serve as a warning to other military commanders and will also create a stir,” said a military observer.

Brigadier-General Thurein Tun, of the 22nd Intake of the military’s Officer Training School, was transferred from the Central Command to serve as commander of the 15th Military Operations Command. 

The AA announced that it had indefinitely banned navigation of the Naf River as of 3 p.m. on December 8, as Muslim armed groups fighting alongside junta soldiers were attempting to escape in boats via the river, which forms part of the border between Myanmar and Bangladesh.