Intense clashes erupted in Pauktaw town, Rakhine State, on Tuesday as the Arakan Army (AA), a Rakhine ethnic armed resistance group, launched an attack against Myanmar military as part of Operation 1027, according to reports from local media, including The Irrawaddy.
In response to the AA's assault, the military junta deployed aircraft and gunboats to defend the coastal town.
Simultaneously, military bases in the nearby state capital, Sittwe, utilized rocket bombs against resistance forces during the confrontation, as reported by local residents.
Details regarding the extent of damage and casualties on both sides remain unknown at this time.
Last Thursday, the AA briefly gained control of Pauktaw after regime police and officials from the junta’s township administration department surrendered to the armed group.
However, a junta unit of 100 troops successfully reclaimed the town on the same day, using helicopter gunships and gunboats.
This military operation resulted in the death of approximately 10 civilians trapped in the town. In response, the AA vowed retaliation for the junta’s killings of residents.
In a separate development within Operation 1027 on Tuesday, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) reported that it attacked and seized three more junta bases, along with capturing a significant amount of weapons and ammunition in the north and center of the Kokang area in northern Shan State.
Additionally, the MNDAA claimed responsibility for three drone strikes on a military battalion in Hseni Township, northern Shan on the same day.
Operation 1027, launched by the Brotherhood Alliance consisting of the MNDAA, AA, and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) on October 27, has targeted and seized regime targets and bases in northern Shan, Kachin, and Rakhine states, as well as upper Mandalay and Sagaing regions.
Coordinated efforts with People’s Defense Force groups and other ethnic armed groups have resulted in the capture of 161 junta bases and nine towns as of Tuesday.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military ousted a government led by Aung San Suu Kyi in the 2021 coup, ending a decade of tentative democratic reform and triggering widespread protests.
