Intense fighting between AA and junta forces continues in Paletwa

Intense gun fighting between the Arakan Army (AA) members and junta soldiers continues in Paletwa, a town of Southern Chin State. The day & night clashes slowly expand from the guard outposts to its  surrounding mountains, said the local residents.

On the morning of 6 January, the intense fighting took place in Yae Tha Khon mountain in the west of Paletwa as well as its eastern areas like Mee Let Wa and TV mountains.

"The clash is going on. It continued for the whole night and emerged more intense in the morning hours," added the  Paletwa resident, while talking to  Narinjara News at 1 pm on Saturday.

The  AA members are attacking the junta’s guard outposts located on the mountains.

"The guard outposts belonging to the military council have been attacked by AA members,” added the resident.

The junta's 289th light infantry battalion, stationed in Paletwa, has been  consistently firing artillery shells towards the mountains. The junta forces conducted airstrikes with the jet fighters and later resorted to drone attacks in the  evening hours.

On 3 January, the AA launched an offensive against junta forces in Mee Let Wa mountain near Paletwa. It is yet to be confirmed if the military camps near the township have been captured or not.

The 5 January statement of  Three Brotherhood Alliance indicated that the fighting was  escalating following the AA’s battles to fully capture all of the junta's bases in the Paletwa region.

Earlier on 3 January, they declared that the AA intended to capture all military battalions and tactical operation command bases in Paletwa as well as in  Rakhine State.

The battalions of Paletwa region, still not captured, include the 233rd infantry battalion, 374th light infantry battalion, 376th light infantry battalion, 308th light infantry battalion, 211st light infantry battalion, 217th light infantry battalion, 289th infantry battalion and 220th light infantry battalion.