Themilitary junta forces have deployed hundreds of soldiers near the place inButhidaung where the Arakan Army (AA) and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army(ARSA) fought in the last few days, said local residents.

Theyinformed that the confrontation between AA and ARSA cadres took place in theMayu mountain range located between Akar Byint and Kyauk Sar Daing underButhidaung township from 18  July evening to 19 July morning.

Soonafter the incident, a navy vessel of the military council with several soldiersarrived at Buthidaung port from Sittwe on 21 July.

Atleast four military vehicles were loaded in the vessel along with food itemsand weapons. More than 100 soldiers of the military council harbored atButhidaung jetty and they were deployed in villages namely Tha Bike Taung, SeinNying Byar, Ngapaw Chaung and Faron Chaung.

"Thereis no fighting at this moment, but the situation is very tense. The AA, ARSA and junta soldiers aremonitoring each other in the area," said a resident.

Localswere worried that the fighting may take place again as the tension from threesides has been intensified.

UAung Thaung Shwe, a former member of Rakhine State Parliament fromButhidaung township, said that it would not be a big deal as ARSA does notrepresent its people.

 “I don't see it would emerge too big. ARSA does not represent its ownpeople. It’s aterrorist group and not related to the common Muslim people of Rakhine State,”he added.

Residentscomplained to the nearby military council camps that the ARSA was trying tobuild a stronghold in that area. Later they along with some Muslim leaderscomplained to the United League of Arakan/ Arakan Army (ULA/AA) about ARSA andsoon the clash between the two-armed groups erupted.

Inthe battle field, at least 10 ARSA cadres were killed and one individual wascaptured by the AA, while two AA members sustained injuries.

 AA spokesperson U Khaing Thukha was repeatedly asked by Narinjara Newsover telephone from 21 to 23 July, but no response was found.

ARSA,a group of infiltrators, remains active in Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships onwestern border of Myanmar adjacent to Cox's Bazar locality of Bangladesh.

The ARSA cadres attacked a number of borderpolice stations and military bases in Maungdaw in 2017. After the attacks, theBurmese soldiers conducted a clearance operation in those areas underButhidaung, Maungdaw and Rathedaung townships. It resulted in the mass exodusof 750000 Muslim people to Bangladesh with an aim to escape militaryatrocities.

 AA has  more than 30,000 combattroops andit had reachedan informal ceasefire with the military junta in November 2022.Currently several Rakhine rural areas are under its control.

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