Junta evacuates military families as Arakan Army advances on artillery battalion in Ayeyarwady Region

By Admin 12 Jun 2026

DMG Newsroom

12 June 2026, Yekyi, Ayeyarwady Region

The Myanmar military junta has begun evacuating military families from Artillery Battalion 344 in Yekyi Township, Ayeyarwady Region, as Arakan Army (AA) forces and allied resistance groups advance toward the base, according to local sources.

Military transport convoys started moving military families from the battalion to the Southwestern Command headquarters in Pathein on June 7 amid intensified fighting near the facility.

"The evacuation to Pathein was ordered because fighting around Artillery Battalion 344 has intensified," a regional military analyst told DMG. "Junta commanders fear that if the base falls, military dependents could be captured. The situation remains highly unstable."

According to local sources, clashes around the Yekyi-based artillery battalion intensified in mid-May. Resistance forces under Arakan Army command have reportedly pushed through several defensive positions and established forward positions less than one mile from the base.

Residents said the fighting has forced civilians from nearby villages to flee their homes. Junta forces stationed inside the battalion have responded with heavy artillery attacks on surrounding areas.

At the same time, the regime has deployed reinforcements to Yekyi, Laymyethna and Thabaung townships in an effort to stabilize the frontline and launch counteroffensives.

"The regime is carrying out military operations almost daily to regain lost territory," a source in Laymyethna Township said. "When ground forces suffer heavy losses, they rely on artillery and airstrikes. Reinforcements and military equipment continue to arrive in the area."

Current fighting is centered on the Pathein-Monywa road corridor in Laymyethna Township, a key transport route that resistance forces had previously cut off and brought under their control.

The Arakan Army and allied resistance groups have expanded their operations across Yekyi, Laymyethna, Ingapu, Thabaung and Pathein townships in recent months.

Military observers said the junta views the Ayeyarwady front as strategically important because it serves as a potential route for operations into neighboring Arakan State.

The latest offensive follows more than a year of resistance advances in Ayeyarwady Region. Since January 2025, Arakan Army-led allied forces, including the 29th Strategic Coalition Network, have captured a number of military outposts and police stations across the region.