In an intensified response to the Arakan Army's (AA) offensive in Rakhine state, Myanmar's military strategically destroyed two vital bridges leading to the capital, Sittwe.
Residents in Sittwe confirmed that the Kisapanadi Bridge in Kyauktaw Township was bombed, while junta troops dynamited the Min Chaung Bridge at the entrance to Sittwe city on Sunday, The Irrawaddy reported.
The destruction of these bridges signals an escalating conflict between the military junta and the AA, which has seized control of several towns in Rakhine since launching its offensive in November.
As the AA gains ground, the military increasingly relies on air, navy, and artillery strikes.
In a clash near Aung Thabyay village in Maungdaw Township on the border with Bangladesh, at least seven junta soldiers were reportedly killed on the same day, as stated by the AA.
Naval boats and landing craft in the Ka Lain Taung River fired artillery shells into Ramree Town and surrounding villages on Sunday.
The military has also deployed naval forces in the rivers of Minbya following the AA's control of the township west of Sittwe.
The conflict's toll extends beyond the battlefield, with a child killed and another resident severely wounded when a junta fighter jet bombed Paletwa town in Chin State on Rakhine's northern border.
The AA, a member of the Brotherhood Alliance, has been instrumental in inflicting unprecedented defeats on the Myanmar military since launching Operation 1027 in northern Shan State last October.
The situation remains volatile as both sides engage in strategic maneuvers and clashes with significant implications for the region.
