Regime launches army-navy joint operations to ‘crush’ AA: junta spokesman

By Admin 14 Nov 2023

DMG Newsroom
14 November 2023, Sittwe

The Myanmar military is conducting army-navy joint operations to crush the Arakan Army (AA), junta media reported, following the AA’s attack on a border guard police outpost in Arakan State’s Rathedaung Township on Monday.

“The AA raided the Donpaik border guard police outpost around 5 a.m. [on Monday] in Rakhine [Arakan State]. We are conducting a joint army-navy operation to crush them,” junta spokesman Major-General Zaw Min Tun was quoted as saying in the November 14 issue of junta-run newspapers.

The AA and Myanmar’s military regime observed an informal truce on November 26 of last year, which came to an abrupt end on Monday as the AA attacked a junta border guard police outpost near Cheinkalein and Donpaik villages on the Agnumaw-Maungdaw road in Rathedaung Township.

The ongoing fighting — the third outbreak of conflict since late 2018 — will be the final battle, asserted politician U Pe Than. 

“I don’t see a U-turn in this fight. The two sides have secured a ceasefire twice, but it didn’t hold for long. This is their third fight, and I don’t think there would be another round of fighting,” he said.

The Three Brotherhood Alliance, of which the AA is a member, has said it will fight the regime across the country as part of “Operation 1027”, first launched in northern Shan State on October 27.

Clashes broke out in at least five locations in Rathedaung, Maungdaw and Minbya townships in Arakan State on Monday as the AA attacked multiple junta positions. Civilians were killed or injured when the junta’s navy and army responded with artillery bombardments, according to the Three Brotherhood Alliance.

More than 2,000 residents fled their homes in those three townships. 

“We heard the AA has seized the Cheinkalein border guard police outpost. We have fled to a safe place. We will watch the situation and will go home [when it is safe to do so],” said a resident of Cheinkalein Village. 

The AA seized the Donpaik border guard police outpost on Monday and the Cheinkalein border guard police outpost on Tuesday, according to the Three Brotherhood Alliance.

The alliance said it seized the bodies of junta soldiers and police killed in the fighting, along with their weapons and other military equipment. Some junta troops surrendered during fighting, it said.

The regime has blockaded roads and waterways and imposed tight checks on civilians following the offensive, according to local residents.