The United League of Arakan has called on residents of Maungdaw, near the Bangladesh border in Rakhine State, to evacuate as its armed wing, the Arakan Army (AA), closes in on the last Myanmar junta strongholds.
The organization announced on Sunday that Maungdaw Township’s remaining junta bases are surrounded.
In recent developments, the AA has taken control of 10 additional junta bases in Maungdaw, including three Border Guard Force headquarters and an army base, from June 1 to 13, Irrawaddy reports.
These actions resulted in the deaths of over 200 regime troops, including Colonel Tayzar Htay, a base commander. The AA’s previous success includes the complete seizure of neighboring Buthidaung Township in mid-May.
Looking forward, analysts believe that Sittwe, the state capital, is the AA’s next target. Following the capture of territories around Sittwe, the AA warned the regime’s Sittwe command to surrender or face defeat.
This has led to more than half of the city’s population, including junta administrators, fleeing Sittwe. The junta has reportedly used nearby villagers as human shields and blocked all entrances to Sittwe Township. Civilians from about 12 villages have been forced to relocate to the city.
Further worsening the situation, junta forces abducted approximately 200 civilians in Sittwe on Saturday night, demanding ransoms of around US$230 for their release, according to local media.
The AA’s offensive has extended to junta bases in Thandwe and Ann townships, with a clash reported in Taungup Township on Saturday.
Since launching its offensive on November 13 last year, the AA has seized control of around 11 of Rakhine State’s 17 townships.