Military-AA hostilities escalating in Maungdaw

By Admin 08 Apr 2024

DMG Newsroom
8 April 2024, Maungdaw

Fighting between the Arakan Army (AA) and military is reportedly intensifying in Maungdaw, Arakan State, as the ethnic armed group ramped up attacks to seize the entire Kyeinchaung border guard police outpost.

The AA has been launching assaults on the Kyeinchaung border guard police outpost since April 5 and parts of the police outpost have been partially seized by the AA, a source close to the ethnic armed group told DMG.

“The AA has seized a police outpost in recent days and has been attacking Kyeinchaung BGF outpost. The AA must occupy about four police outposts to seize the entire Kyeinchaung BGF outpost,” the source added.

Fierce clashes have been reported in Maungdaw on a daily basis as the military responds to the AA’s attacks with artillery attacks and airstrikes, a resident in Maungdaw said.

“A junta jet fighter attacked the AA positions near the Kyeinchaung BGF outpost yesterday. The military is currently attacking the AA with heavy weapons and drones. Villagers have fled to safer locations since the fighting,” the source said.

The AA has besieged the Kyeinchaung BGF outpost for almost a month now, and the group is accelerating its offensive to capture it completely, said the ethnic armed group’s statement on March 5.

It has also, since February 9, been attacking the Kyein Chaung border guard police outpost in the north of Maungdaw Township. The regime has brought in air and artillery support to defend the outpost.

The AA has seized large swaths of Rathedaung, Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Minbya, Pauktaw, Myebon and Ramree townships, as well as Paletwa Township in neighbouring Chin State, since the latest hostilities began in mid-November.