The Arakan Army (AA) is conducting sniper attacks on military council camps located in Paletwa village, Sittwe Township, Rakhine State. The military council is responding with heavy artillery fire. The military camps at Paletwa port house several units including Infantry Battalion 232, Light Infantry Battalion 344, and Education Battalion 10, which are actively engaging in artillery counterattacks according to local sources.
Paletwa village is situated along the Mayu River, and the military council maintains naval vessels at Paletwa port. About three days ago, AA sniper teams conducted attacks on some of the military council camps in Paletwa. While the exact casualties from the engagement remain unclear, locals report hearing only one or two artillery shots fired in response by the military council forces. Military analysts from Sittwe indicate that AA forces are employing guerrilla warfare tactics against military council battalions and outposts around Sittwe city, with tensions escalating between both sides.
While the military council has made military preparations, the AA continues to engage in hit-and-run tactics and sniper operations frequently. City residents are anxiously monitoring the situation for potential outbreak of more intense fighting. In the last week of May, AA forces also conducted a raid on the military council’s guard post at Kaingthaung Island village, which serves as a defensive position for the Regional Military Command (Sittwe). This attack resulted in numerous military council casualties and the destruction of two armored vehicles. The military council has laid landmines around Sittwe city while expanding their camp positions and frequently firing artillery toward Pauktaw, Ponnagyun and Rathedaung areas.
Additionally, the military council is conducting airstrikes on locations suspected of AA presence near these areas and Sittwe city, while also maintaining naval patrols. Military vessels are particularly active along the Kaladan River mouth and Mayu River corridor, continuously patrolling from Paletwa port to the Minchaungtaw Bridge. The military council has significantly increased its defensive preparations around Sittwe, with expanded military camps and frequent artillery fire toward surrounding areas they suspect may harbor AA forces. Their naval vessels maintain constant patrols especially along strategic waterways, while aerial operations target suspected AA positions in the vicinity of Sittwe and neighboring townships.
