A military source has confirmed that contact has been lost with more than 80 troops from the military council’s 99th Division during fighting at a military outpost on Minwa Mountain in Kyaukphyu Township, Rakhine State. The Arakan Army (AA) launched an attack on the outpost on May 2, after which communication was lost with the military column deployed around the outpost and surrounding area. Military sources confirmed that the troops have gone missing.
The outpost had more than 50 personnel stationed there along with over 30 patrol troops, totaling more than 80 forces, who lost contact starting May 3. Intense fighting between the military council forces and AA continues throughout Kyaukphyu Township, with continuous clashes occurring near Police Battalion 32 and the Danyawady Naval Base during the last week of April and first week of May.
Injured military council soldiers from the battles are being transported to Sittwe Hospital and military hospitals for treatment, though exact casualty numbers remain unknown. Local sources report that the military council forces have suffered significant losses due to AA’s offensive operations, with some columns retreating and the AA reportedly capturing the Leik Kamaw military outpost. The military restricts civilian access to areas where their injured troops are being treated.
While fighting between the military council and AA in Kyaukphyu Township has occurred intermittently over several months, battles have intensified recently due to AA’s increased offensive operations. The conflict has forced more than 20 villages to evacuate, with thousands of civilians displaced from their homes and becoming internally displaced persons (IDPs). The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate as more residents flee the fighting, leaving behind their homes and livelihoods in search of safety.
