Intense gun fighting between the Arakan Army (AA) members andjunta soldiers continues in Paletwa, atown of Southern Chin State.The day & night clashes slowly expand from the guard outposts to its surrounding mountains, said the local residents.

On the morning of 6 January, the intense fighting took place inYae Tha Khon mountain in the west of Paletwa as well as its eastern areas likeMee Let Wa and TV mountains.

"The clash is going on. It continued for the whole night andemerged more intense in the morning hours," added the  Paletwaresident, while talking to  Narinjara News at 1 pm on Saturday.

The  AA members are attacking the junta’s guard outpostslocated on the mountains.

"Theguard outposts belonging to the military council have been attacked by AAmembers,” added the resident.

The junta's 289th light infantry battalion, stationed in Paletwa,has been  consistently firing artillery shells towards the mountains. Thejunta forces conducted airstrikes with the jet fighters and later resorted todrone attacks in the  evening hours.

On3 January, the AA launched an offensive against junta forces in Mee Let Wamountain near Paletwa. It is yet to be confirmed if the military camps near thetownship have been captured or not.

The 5 January statement of  Three Brotherhood Allianceindicated that the fighting was  escalating following the AA’s battles tofully capture all of the junta's bases in the Paletwa region.

Earlieron 3 January, they declared that the AA intended to capture all militarybattalions and tactical operation command bases in Paletwa as well as in Rakhine State.

Thebattalions of Paletwa region, still not captured, include the 233rd infantrybattalion, 374th light infantry battalion, 376th light infantry battalion,308th light infantry battalion, 211st light infantry battalion, 217th lightinfantry battalion, 289th infantry battalion and 220th light infantrybattalion.