Junta police and soldiers flee Thandwe fighting

By Admin 15 May 2024

DMG Newsroom
15 May 2024, Thandwe

Some junta personnel are fleeing for their lives in Arakan State’s Thandwe Township amid Arakkha Army (AA) attacks on junta positions in the township.

Four regime policemen deserted from Thandwe’s central police station on Monday, taking their weapons with them.

“Four policemen fled on Monday. We still can’t confirm their ranks. They fled to the territory held by the AA. They have fled out of concern for their safety as fighting has escalated in the township. The police station has been in a state of chaos,” a source close to Thandwe’s central police station told DMG.

Police officers serving at local police stations in rural Thandwe Township, meanwhile, are retreating to the Thandwe central police station.

Junta soldiers conducted a search for the four deserting policemen from the central police station in villages on the outskirts of Thandwe on Monday.

The commander of Infantry Battalion 55 based in Ngapali Town, Thandwe Township, also reportedly fled along with weapons this week. The commander, Khun Myo Lwin Oo, is said to have led junta troops clashing with the AA near Yaysin Village. DMG could not independently verify those reports.

Fighting has been raging in Thandwe Township since April, forcing more than 10,000 residents from over 10 villages to flee their homes.