AA claims full control of Taungup

By Admin 15 Dec 2024

DMG Newsroom
15 December 2024, Taungup

The Arakkha Army (AA) says it has taken control of the entirety of Taungup Township after capturing the Myanmar regime's No. 5 Military Operations Command (MOC), the last-standing of the three MOCs based in Arakan State, on December 14.

"The AA seized the Myanmar regime's No. 5 Military Operations Command (MOC) in Taungup at around 4:10 p.m. on Saturday. Fleeing junta soldiers are being hunted down by the AA fighters. The AA has taken control of the entirety of Taungup Township," said U Khaing Thukha, spokesman for the ethnic armed group.

The AA began attacking the No. 5 Military Operations Command in Taungup in the third week of November, with the military responding to the ethnic armed group's attack with artillery and aerial support.

A politician said that locals need to be especially vigilant about security risks as junta soldiers are still present in Taungup Township.

"The AA seized full control of the entire Taungup Township, but there are fleeing junta soldiers. They can be dangerous to locals, so people should be careful when traveling," the politician added.

Some homes near the junta battalions and downtown area were reduced to ashes in regime airstrikes during the battle for control of Taungup.

At least eight houses were burnt down by a junta airstrike in Taungup Township's Kanpaing Village on December 9. A church and 15 houses were destroyed in a junta air raid on December 4.

Since November 2023 and prior to Sunday, the AA had captured Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Minbya, Myebon, Pauktaw, Ponnagyun, Rathedaung, Buthidaung, Maungdaw, Ramree, and Thandwe townships and Taungup and Ann towns in Arakan State, as well as Paletwa Township in neighbouring Chin State. If its claim is verified in the comings days, Taungup Township would be the 12th of Arakan State's 17 townships to fall to the AA.