The Arakan Army is relentlessly launching offensives to seize Military Council bases and outposts in Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Minbya, Pauktaw, and Rathedaung Townships in Rakhine State, while the coup regime fiercely defends them deploying its Army, Navy, and Air Force to prevent any further loss of strategic military installations.
On January 10th, the AA launched offensives against the Military Council's 377th, 380th, and 541st Light Infantry Battalions in Minbya, with clashes persisting up to the present, a Minbya resident told DMG.
A Minbya resident told DMG, "The Military Council is employing the Army, Navy, and Air- Force in the fight. The artillery barrages are accompanied by deafening noises,making it nearly impossible to discern the specific types of weapons being utilized. The sounds of battles are incessant and virtually unbroken”.
The temporary ceasefire recently mediated by China, between the Military Council and the Three Brotherhood Alliance in northern Shan State- and already widely ignored, has no application to Rakhine State that was never included in the Kunming agreement..
Clashes are unfolding in Kyauktaw Township too, where AA has successfully seized the Military Council's 377th artillery battalion situated on Kansauk Hill, while simultaneous efforts are underway to capture the 539th Light Infantry Battalion. The intensity of these confrontations has forced thousands of residents from over 20 adjacent villages to seek refuge for their safety.
"The Military Council's deliberate targeting of civilian villages through artillery bombardments and air raids, has resulted in civilian casualties and frequent house fires everyday”, a Kyauktaw resident reported.
Previously the Military Council's barrages were sporadic, but according to local sources, they have now escalated to a point where the artillery batteries are launched almost incessantly, both day and night.
With the AA cutting off logistics routes, the Military Council faces a bleak prospect of receiving ground reinforcements, and is increasingly dependent on aerial bombardments.
As per reports from the Enemy Air Route, a group monitoring air threats, the Military Council conducts a minimum of 10 airstrikes per day in Rakhine State.
As a result of airstrikes and shelling, there is a steady rise in civilian casualties and damage to residential buildings. From January 12th to 14th, the Military Council's air and artillery attacks claimed the lives of 12 civilians, and left 23 others injured in Pauktaw, Kyauktaw, Minbya, and Mrauk-U.
"When the Military Council lost its ability to win the war, it resorted to targeting civilians as an unjust tactic. Openly committing war crimes, its troops engage in actions like burning villages and killing innocent civilians”, a Rakhine human rights activist said.
The presence of military activities from both sides is evident in Sittwe, Ponnagyun, Myebon, Ann, Kyaukphyu, Ramree, Manaung, Taungup, and Gwa Townships. Concurrently, the Military Council is intensifying its preparations for combat readiness in urban areas and strengthening the Navy's capabilities.
Fighting between AA and the Military Council has reignited in Rakhine State and Platewa Township in Chin State since November.
AA has already gained control of the entire Paletwa Township and is currently launching offensives to capture military bases in urban areas in Rakhine.
"With China's mediation, the conflict in northern Shan State has subsided, and the Three Brotherhood Alliance has largely accomplished their desired military objectives in that region. However in Rakhine State, despite being a member of the Alliance, AA continues to engage in combat due to on-going military objectives, indicating a likelihood of intensified battles ahead”, U Thaung Swe, a Rakhine politician remarked.
As the conflict escalates, the count of displaced individuals is on the rise, surpassing 300,000 war-displaced people in Rakhine State.
The displaced individuals are in dire need of food, clothing, medicine, and other assistance. However bans and restrictions imposed by the Military Council prevents international and local aid organizations from delivering effective support, exacerbating the hardships faced by these individuals.
