Kyaukphyu battle drags on for more than seven months

By Admin 30 Sep 2025

DMG Newsroom

30 September 2025, Kyaukphyu

The battle between the military junta and the Arakan Army (AA) in Kyaukphyu Township, Arakan State - home to major Chinese-backed projects - has dragged on for more than seven months.

Fighting that began on 20 February near the Dhanyawaddy Naval Command, about four miles from Kyaukphyu, has since spread to the south and southwest of the township.

"Clashes break out because junta troops advance without realizing the AA is already present in many areas. Other times, the military attacks AA bases. Recently, the junta has launched offensives from multiple directions, so the conflict has widened," a military source close to the situation told DMG.

On 29 September, fighting erupted near Gawtu Village after a junta assault, with naval vessels providing artillery support, according to sources.

Throughout the third week of September, battles also flared near Kulabar, Malakyun, Mintat Taung, Kandi, Nanfay Taung, Pyadae, Kyatain, and Thaphankhar Villages.

"In recent days, clashes have broken out in almost every location between Gawtu and the Dhanyawaddy Naval Command. Near Kyatain and Thaphankhar, the AA ambushed a junta column, reportedly inflicting heavy casualties," said a Kyaukphyu resident familiar with the battlefield.

Since June, the junta has been advancing from the Dhanyawaddy Naval Command, No. 32 Police Battalion, and the Chinese-owned Onshore Gas Terminal (OGT), sending out multiple columns to launch offensives.

Dhanyawaddy Naval Command lies near the Than Zit River, while Malakyun Village sits on the Bay of Bengal coast, marking the western edge of the battlefield. The two sites are about 13 miles apart, with police outposts and villages such as Kulabar, Mintat Taung, Nanfay Taung, Kandi, Pyadae, Katthapyay, Kyatain, Thaphankhar, and Seimaw in between - where heavy fighting has taken place.

The junta column advancing from Malakyun is currently pushing near Kulabar and Gawtu Villages, attempting to link up with columns moving from the No. 32 Police Battalion and Dhanyawaddy Naval Command.

"Columns from the No. 32 Police Battalion and the Dhanyawaddy Naval Command are under pressure. To open a path, junta forces are now advancing from Malakyun toward Gawtu with heavy strength. This could trigger even more intense clashes," said another Kyaukphyu resident familiar with the situation.

Kyaukphyu is home to Chinese-invested oil and natural gas pipelines, as well as related facilities and factories, which observers note limits the AA's options for conducting offensives in the area.

In July, the AA ceded some of its positions near the No. 32 Police Battalion, as well as Nanfay Taung, Pyinshay, and Malakyun Villages, due to sustained junta offensives.

The junta has been heavily reliant on naval routes in Kyaukphyu, deploying warships with ammunition and thousands of troops. Locals say the AA needs to disrupt naval supply lines in order to shift the balance.

After more than seven months of fighting, the junta has reinforced with thousands of troops, deploying them around battalion headquarters and bases in Kyaukphyu. Observers note that the regime appears determined not to allow these positions to fall to the AA.