Arakan Army seizes major Myanmar junta base on Bangladesh border
The Arakan Army (AA) seized a border guard headquarters in northern Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State, on Friday, and its troops have entered the town, according to residents.
The AA attacked the Kyee Kan Pyin Border Guard Police headquarters on Thursday, which was defended by junta police and troops.
Kyee Kan Pyin village is 12km north of Maungdaw and AA sources said the junta evacuated its commanders by helicopters before the base fell.
A resident said: “The fall of the Kyee Kan Pyin base exposes Maungdaw from the north. The junta still holds other outposts in the township.”
The junta still holds the Nyo Thit Kyi and Inn Din outposts east of Maungdaw town.
The Rakhine media reported that about 50 junta troops surrendered to the AA.
The reports said the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army and Rohingya Solidarity Organization were also defending the police headquarters.
The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the reports.
Residents said some junta troops fled to Bangladesh and the regime was launching repeated air and artillery strikes on Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Pauktaw townships on Friday and Saturday.
A military analyst said: “The AA is attacking junta bases in Buthidaung, Maungdaw and Ann. And we hear it is preparing for bigger offensives into Sittwe and Kyaukphyu.”
The AA is attacking the Military Operations Command 15 headquarters in Buthidaung Township, one of the major remaining bases in northern Rakhine State.
Since the start of the current offensive in November last year, the AA has seized nine Rakhine towns and Paletwa Township in southern Chin State.
