Narinjara News, July 3, 2025

The military council forces in Kyaukphyu, Arakan State, detained four young men from Kyaukphyu on suspicion of harboring deserters who had left the front lines of the battle.

According to One Nation News, the military council troops removed the detainees from their homes at 7 p.m. on June 25. Ko Moe San Htun, Ko Aung Paing, Ko Moe Kyaw Than, and Ko Thar Gyi were all arrested from Taungyin Ward in Kyaukphyu.

Without any proof of the claims, the four young men were taken into custody, and their safety is a cause for concern.

After June 20, approximately 20 military council troops, some of whom had received militia training, escaped the fighting in Kyaukphyu Township, according to a woman from Kyaukphyu who spoke to Narinjara.

"In the Kyuakphyu battleground, a large number of soldiers and militias are running away in fear of facing the AA. They fled from the police and the fighting in the village of Pyine Say Kay. They ran to the city center. They switched their clothes in empty houses. Then they left and begged for food in the street," she added.

The Military Security Forces (Sarapha) and soldiers searched the city for the missing junta members and later detained Kyaukphyu citizens, charging them with hiding and aiding them, a local resident told Narinjara News.

 “There’s a lot of investigation in the town. I've heard that certain people from Kyaukphyu have been detained for allegedly accepting and aiding deserters. I'm not sure how many there are. Some people have, in fact, been detained.”

Residents said that the ward administrators have been instructed by the current junta to report any newcomers to the city.

According to residents, military council soldiers, some of whom are trained Muslims, are now stationed at the entrances to Kyaukphyu and are keeping a close eye on those entering and exiting. In addition, security has been beefed up.

Numerous people have died in the conflict in Kyaukpyu Township, including rank-and-file soldiers as well as military council officers.

Some people surrendered to the AA, while others fled without weapons. According to military sources, the entire joint force of the military council (11) and the (99) divisions, which numbered around 70 troops, surrendered to the AA in Kyaukpyu last May.

The military council and the AA have been engaged in intense combat in the area surrounding Kyaukpyu since July 1.