Narinjara, 12 May 2025 

Local sources indicate that clashes between the Arakan Army (AA) and junta forces in Kyaukphyu Township, Rakhine State, home to significant Chinese projects, are intensifying day by day. 

Local residents near the fighting scene report that the clashes have intensified in recent days. 

Kyaukphyu is a city that brings in substantial foreign revenue for the Burmese military regime, as it hosts China's gas and oil pipeline projects. It is likewise a crucial city in geopolitics since it serves as a deep-sea port on the Bay of Bengal. 

In light of these conditions, the military council has strategically fortified its defenses to stop Kyaukphyu from being seized by the AA and is also carrying out regular offensive strikes on AA positions. 

On the morning of May 11, a military source associated with AA informed Narinjara that the advancing military column was in proximity to the villages of Laek Khamaw and Malakyun, where the Arakan Army ambushed and struck. They took part in intense combat between two groups. 

“The military council's column approached the AA position, prompting the AA to return fire. They began to battle. When they entered the area, the AA opened fire. The battle was intense." 

The military council, which has recently bolstered the Dhanyawady Naval Headquarters located in Thit Pote Taung, Kyaukphyu Township, is reported to have created a joint force with the existing military units from the Dhanyawady Naval Headquarters, Battalion 32, Infantry Battalion 542, and Infantry Battalion 543, and is executing offensive operations. 

"The AA side has shown increased activity since the ceasefire, and the military council side has also been more engaged. The recently restocked military positions, the naval command center, and two military units comprising around 70 soldiers. The troops from the battalion are being deployed in the nearby regions," he stated. 

It is reported that the military council's forces have moved into villages they had once deserted and regions where the AA could be located, leading to intense clashes on May 11. 

Another local said, "They are repositioning in the vicinity of the (32) Police Battalion in Gong Chuin village and near the Navy headquarters. This morning, a confrontation is occurring at the military lines in Gong Chuin." 

The Arakan Army (AA) and the military council have engaged in conflict in Kyaukphyu since the final week of February. 

Numerous members of the military council have fled amid the conflict, and there have been losses and substantial reinforcements. 

An unidentified military observer reported that the drones are being dispatched from Yangon alongside the drones on naval ships. There are losses on both sides in the current conflict in Kyaukphyu Township, and residents report that the clashes have increased in severity in recent days.