Narinjara News, 6 July 2022

A day after the military council bombed an Arakan Army (AA) base in Karen National Union's 5th brigade areanear the Thai-Burmese border, Myanmarjunta chief Min Aung Hlaing  attended a naval exercise in the Rakhine coastal water.

At least six AA fighters were killed and several injured in the Burmese military attack carried out bytwo fighter jets on 4 July afternoon.A number of buildings were also destroyed in the bombing incident.

Next day chief of the ruling military council, senior general Hlaing graced the joint naval exercise (Seashield-2022) in the Rakhine Sea.

Many of the battleships with names of Burmese ancient heroes (including combat submarines titled Min Ye Thein Kha Thuand  Min Ye Kyaw Htin, frigates titledSin Phyu Shin and Kyan Sit Thar) participated in the exercisethat began on1July.

The attack on the AA base is not related  to the naval exercise. It’s justa coincidence, said Pe Than, senior Rakhine politician as well as a formerPyithu Hluttaw member from Myebon township.

"I don't think both incidents are correlated. The exercise is designed forthe Myanmar army personnel to prepare for any confrontations against the AAmembers in both air and sea. Two years back, the government forces could notdefeat the  AA members on the ground.

As the AA members are well trained on the ground, the military council mayfocus on air and sea, added Pe Than.

“As the Army cannot compete with the ULA / AA on the ground, they are nowfocusing  on air and sea operations in Rakhine State. The governmentforces are waiting for an opportunity to challenge the AA successfully,”observed Pe Than.

Even though there was an informal ceasefire between the Burmese army and the AAsince November 2020 national electons, the incident of 4 July bombing confusedeveryone. Tensions are mounted in various localities as the arrest of Rakhinecivilians continues.

Myanmar's coastline is about 1,300 miles long and it covers an area of over144,000 square miles. The navy has been empowered with three-dimensional combatstrategies to safeguard the Myanmar maritime economic zone.