Military council forces have retreated from Nyaungkyoe camp to Oakshitpin city in Bago Region’s Pantaung Township due to the Arakan Army (AA) offensive, according to local residents and military sources. The fighting, which began in January, has continued for nearly two months before military council forces withdrew from Nyaungkyoe camp and began preparing defensive positions in Oakshitpin city. Despite conducting airstrikes and artillery bombardments, they were unable to contain the AA’s offensive.
On March 11, the AA’s offensive pushed beyond Nyaungkyoe camp and approached the vicinity of Oakshitpin city, where military council forces are regrouping, according to internal military sources. The military council forces are conducting artillery strikes and evacuating wounded soldiers to the city, with frequent movement of military vehicles observed. The military has established artillery positions in Oakshitpin city and is continuously firing heavy weapons, according to local residents. The military council has deployed hundreds of newly trained recruits to Nyaungkyoe camp and Oakshitpin city, but many of these new soldiers have been killed or wounded in the fighting, with reinforcement units retreating in disarray.
Wounded soldiers are being treated at Pyay Regional Military Hospital and nearby township hospitals, with a temporary hospital set up in the city hall due to insufficient bed capacity, according to a military source in Pyay. The AA has officially announced that it is conducting offensives into Ayeyarwady, Bago, and Magway regions adjacent to Rakhine State. The ongoing battles have resulted in significant casualties among military council forces, particularly among new recruits, while the AA continues to advance its positions closer to urban areas. The military council’s attempts to reinforce and defend their positions have been largely ineffective in stopping the AA’s momentum in the region.
