The junta forces are carrying out reconnaissance  with drones during night hours in different areascontrolled by the Arakan Army (AA) in threetownships of Rakhine State, said local residents.

It wad conducted in many areas under  Mrauk U township along with its bordering areas under the townships ofRathedaung and Buthidaung.

On 25 July at around 11 pm, the locals witnessed military  drones in the sky of Mrauk U and its adjacentmountains, claimed a ULA/AA source.

"It should be accepted as a violation to the agreement signed by the militray council. The drones might havetaken pictures of the AA camps. Mostof the AA members  are  stationed in and around Mrauk U township. So it's a kind of provocation," he added.

Currently, the AA side is only monitoring the drone activities, but if the junta continues with the practice,they shoot down it.

Some residents claimed that the reconnaissance was done on the night of 21 and 25 July too over the villagesand mountain areas bordering Rathedaungand Buthidaung townships.

A Buthidaung resident informed that the junta used the drone in between 9 and 10 pm. It flew over thevillage and later went towards themountain areas, he added.

The drone was seen flying over Ray Kaung Chaung, Kharu Chaung and Phatha Dus villages under Rathedaung township and also ThyaiTa boke, Tha Pyay Site, SiDaung, Kan Byint and Sapar Htar villages under Buthidaung township.

Since 26 November  2022, the military council and the AA are maintaining an informal ceasefire rules.Surprisingly, the junta forcesconducted the reconnaissance  in AA controlled areas with no
information to the other party.

Earlier, the fully armed junta forces tried to enter the AA controlled areas through the land andwaterways.  Moreover, the testing of  small arms by junta forces also came to the notice of villagers.

ULA/AA spokesperson U Khaing Thukha, while talking to media recently, termed the military assess as aviolation of their commitments. He warnedthat if the kind of activities go on, the gun fighting may return any time in Rakhine State.

Photo Caption - On June 24, 2020, the AA seized anIsraeli-made unmanned drone used by the military Junta .