The Arakan Army’s (AA) two-month offensive to take Maungdaw Town on the Bangladesh border in Arakan (Rakhine) State has intensified since 6 August

Currently, in Maungdaw Township, the AA controls the villages of Taung Pyo Let Wae and Kyein Chaung  to the north of Maungdaw Town and the villages of Inn Din, Kyauk Pandu, and A Lel Than Kyaw to the south. It also holds key positions on the Buthidaung to Maungdaw Road and the May Yu Mountain Range to the east of the town.

But the AA does not yet control Maungdaw Town, the administrative centre of the township, despite conducting relentless operations against the junta battalions stationed in the town.

Currently, the AA has encircled the town and is laying siege to the junta forces there and has been intensifying its assaults on them since the early morning of 6 August 2024.

A local source said: “Maungdaw Town has been completely encircled by the AA. The junta has been attempting to impede the AA’s advance through constant artillery shelling. Today's [6 August] clashes represent the fiercest fighting we have witnessed since the conflict erupted in Maungdaw.”

The last major junta stronghold in Maungdaw Town, the base of the Myothugyi Border Guard Police No. 5 Battalion (BGP-5). It has been frequently and indiscriminately firing artillery which has caused an increase in civilian casualties.

On 3 July 2024, AA forces successfully neutralised junta units stationed at Shwe Zar Bridge, a vital access route into Maungdaw Town. The junta's attempt to defend against the AA’s assault included artillery shelling and airstrikes which also hit civilian areas. Among the casualties was Daw Mi Phyu, a schoolteacher who lived in Maungdaw Town’s No. 4 Ward. She was killed, and her son sustained shrapnel injuries.

A local witness describing the incident said: “An artillery shell fired from BGP-5 hit the residential ward in front of the township hospital. The explosion killed a schoolteacher and injured her son with shrapnel.”

Armed groups who are allegedly helping the junta, such as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO), are allegedly operating in Maungdaw Town. They have been accused of arbitrarily arresting and extorting civilians trapped in the town by the fighting.

An observer said: “Compared to other towns, the battle in Maungdaw is much more complicated. The junta is resisting the AA’s strong offensive with support from some Muslim armed groups. Among those trapped in the town are Muslims, Arakanese, and Hindus. Both sides need to exercise restraint to prevent bullets and ordnance from straying into Bangladesh's territory.”

The Kanyin Chaung Economic Zone in Maungdaw Town represents a vital source of income for the junta due to its significant role in official border trade with Bangladesh.