Narinjara News, August 2, 2025

In Kyaukphyu, where the military council earns a sizable income from major Chinese projects, combat broke out once again on August 1 following a period of peace.

Near Praing Ci Kay village, which is situated at the No. 32 police battalion and near the Kulaba village, where the Dhanyawady naval headquarters is located, locals claimed to have heard the sounds of heavy and light firearms coming from both sides.

The military council is aggressively protecting Kyaukphyu to keep it out of the hands of the Arakan Army (AA), as Kyaukphyu brings in billions of US dollars in foreign revenue for the military council each year.

For this reason, there has been continuous combat outside Kyaukphyu for about four months.

Those who back the revolution want to seize Kyaukphyu as soon as possible because the military council is using the revenues from the sale of Rakhine natural gas to China to purchase military gear and murder civilians.

"During the third and last week of July, when the fighting was quiet, I was very afraid because the junta air force bombed monasteries and villages. I'm now frightened anytime I hear gunfire," a woman from Kyaukphyu stated.

"Today, I heard gunfire. It's difficult for a civilian to determine whether combat is actually happening. I can hear tiny arms fire. In addition, there is a lot of gunfire,” a Kyaukphyu resident said.

The loud gunfire is frightening the populace, while the military council is mostly employing drones in the conflict.

The military council is still employing the air force to carry out its bombing campaign against communities in Kyaukphyu Township. On July 30, at 11 a.m., it launched two bombs at the monastery in Thadda-htein village, Min Raat ward.

In Kyaukphyu Township, the military council also bombed the monastery and Kulaba village on July 23 using jet fighters, killing a villager and a 93-year-old monk.

With heavy weapons and aircraft reportedly escalating their bombing, naval forces from the sea are also shelling nearby communities where combat is raging.

It was reported that the Navy's Danyawaddy headquarters, which is located in Thit Poke Taung, sent soldiers near Kulaba village during the last week of July, when the small arms fire ceased, and from Praing Ci Kay, close to the 32nd Police Battalion in Gong Chwein, to Nhen Phae Taung.