AA Offensive Forces Junta Troops to Brink of Collapse in Maungdaw Township

Narinjara News, August 2, 2024

The Arakan Army (AA) has launched a relentless offensive against the Myothugyi No. 5 Military Operations Command (MOC-5) in Maungdaw Township, Arakan (Rakhine) State. The sustained attacks have resulted in significant casualties among the junta's forces, causing a gradual retreat.

At approximately 4:00 AM on July 31, the junta's fighter jets initiated an airstrike, providing critical air support and conducting heavy bombardments in the battle zone. Simultaneously, the junta's Navy targeted AA positions with intense artillery fire.

"The survival prospects for MOC-5 are grim. The battle was fierce all day yesterday, with artillery fire from Navy vessels continuing throughout the night. Fighter jets began bombing before dawn today, causing the ground to shake like a series of earthquakes. Casualties in MOC-5 appear to be high. Amidst the heavy rain, the noise of bombs terrified children, making them cry, and forcing people to crouch flat on the ground. The bombing was so intense that my ears went deaf for a while. The fighting situation is extremely intense,” a witness residing very close to the MOC-5 told Narinjara.

Around 1:00 AM on July 30, the AA launched a series of simultaneous offensive attacks on junta positions in Maungdaw. The targets included the No. 5 Border Guard Police (BGP-5) battalion, MOC-5, and junta and subordinate armed group deployments in Shwezar, Myoma Kanyintan, Maungni, Lathar, Zula areas and POE checkpoints.

"The rain continued to pour all day, and the fighting around the town was relentless. The sound of small arms fire and artillery shelling echoed through the night. The danger was so intense that no one dared to leave their homes to observe the military situation,” a Maungdaw resident said.

Although the AA successfully defeated all the junta bases in the south and north of Maungdaw, it has been on the offensive for over a month to capture the remaining major fortification, MOC-5. Meanwhile, the AA has intensified efforts to decimate the junta's remaining forces in Maungdaw.

Unable to match the AA in replenishing its ground forces, the junta is mobilizing armed groups such as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) to assist in the fight. Additionally, the junta is coercing local Muslims into undergoing military training, arming them, and conscripting them into its ranks.