The Arakan Army (AA) has reported successful operations against Myanmar junta reinforcements, resulting in the elimination of around 80 troops airlifted to the coastal town of Ramree in Rakhine State.
The three-day battle, marked by heavy airstrikes from the military, unfolded as the ethnic army continued its resistance against the junta forces.
On Saturday, four military transport helicopters brought 120 soldiers from Infantry Battalion 36 - based in Kyonpyaw Township, Ayeyarwady Region - and Light Infantry Battalion 373 - based in Ann Township, Rakhine - to Ramree town in an attempt to counter AA’s advances.
Despite the junta’s aerial bombardment, the AA claimed to have killed approximately 60 reinforcements on Saturday.
The bodies, along with a substantial cache of weapons and ammunition, were recovered by AA forces.
An additional 20 regime troops were reported killed during their retreat from Ramree on Monday, with the AA seizing ammunition and supplies dropped by a junta Harbin Y-12 transport aircraft.
Clashes in Ramree began in mid-December when the AA targeted regime forces stationed at the Aung Chan Thar hilltop pagoda south of the town.
Since then, the junta has subjected Ramree to relentless bombings from air, sea, and land, causing significant damage to buildings, including the township hospital and markets.
Meanwhile, the AA continued assaults on the 9th Central Military Training School near Kan Ni village in Minbya Township, with the junta responding with heavy airstrikes to defend the stronghold.
The AA has successfully seized several outposts at the school since launching the assault on February 17.
Simultaneously, AA forces pressed on to capture remaining junta strongholds in Ponnagyun, Maungdaw, and Buthidaung townships.
Junta forces intensified attacks on civilian targets, causing injuries to patients and staff when a fighter jet bombed a public hospital in Min Phoo village, Minbya Township on Tuesday.
A separate attack targeted Minbya’s Thay Kan Village and a nearby school sheltering displaced people, resulting in 25 civilian injuries and extensive property damage.
Major General Tun Myat Naing, the AA commander, issued a plea to junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and his generals to acknowledge defeat in Rakhine, urging them to cease attacks on unarmed civilians and youths.
He emphasized the dignity of their descendants, encouraging the junta leadership to contemplate being “good losers.”
The AA’s involvement in the tripartite ethnic Brotherhood Alliance, part of the anti-regime Operation 1027 launched on October 27, 2023, has proven resilient.
While the operation was temporarily halted in northern Shan State with a China-brokered ceasefire in mid-January, the AA continues its resistance in Rakhine State and neighboring regions, seizing numerous junta bases, towns, and critical trade routes.
