Bangla Press Desk: Myanmar Junta troops advancing into Kyaukphyu Township in Rakhine State suffered heavy losses on Saturday in an ambush by the Arakan Army (AA), according to local military sources.
The clash followed the military’s seizure of Thaing Chaung Taung base in the hotly contested township, which is the site of several Chinese mega-projects.
AA troops initially withdrew from nearby Minpyin village after planting mines, but when junta troops moved in—believing the area secure—the AA opened fire, a source close to the AA told The Irrawaddy.
“They thought it was clear, but we hit them hard,” the source said.
“They thought the area had been abandoned, so they entered the village leisurely and were even posing for a group photo,” he added. “That was when the AA opened fire with heavy and small weapons. Many were also killed by landmines. Around 30 soldiers died, and the number of wounded is likely even higher.”
The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the junta casualties. Fighting around Minpyin remains intense, with junta forces deploying airstrikes and drones.
The village sits on the Kyaukphyu-Ramree road some 5 km from Thaing Chaung Taung base, which the regime recaptured on Nov. 10, and houses a radar station. Sources on the ground report continued clashes near the base.
Elsewhere in the township, the regime has heavily reinforced its Danyawaddy naval base, the No. 32 Police Battalion, and local battalions in recent weeks, expanding frontline outposts and launching fresh offensives to reverse gains made by the AA earlier this year.
The clashes have resulted in mass displacement from several villages, swelling the number of internal refugees across Kyaukphyu, according to local aid workers.
“Airstrikes are constant, and the navy fires almost daily. The number of displaced families has surged, and the most urgent need is food,” said one volunteer.
The AA still holds coastal villages close to No. 32 Police Battalion and the PowerChina gas-fired power plant and onshore gas terminal, which are located around 5 km from junta battalions in Kyaukphyu town.
Local sources say the regime has brought in as many as 1,000 reinforcements this month, most of them conscripts.
The township is home to three infantry battalions, a police battalion, and three naval bases. Locals said China has provided drones and technical support for the regime here, but The Irrawaddy could not independently verify those reports.
What is certain is that the junta has isolated villages and is blocking the transport of goods and medicine in Kyaukphyu, aggravating shortages of food and basic supplies both in town and in the villages as the conflict intensifies.
BP/SP
