Khaing Lu Hla

Narinjara News, 3 June 2024

The Arakan Army (AA), now boasting 40,000 standing troops, has been preparingto maintain its offensives against the remaining military strongholds in eighttownships of Rakhine State.

The United League of Arakan (ULA), which issued astatement regarding the junta’s massacre in Byine Phyu village under Sittwe township, indicated their preparedness for the offensives.

It may be mentioned that the fierce gun fighting is going on in the Arakanregion between the  junta forces and AA fighters. After seizing allmilitary bases in Buthidaung, the AA fighters are now targeting the major townsin the region. They are now preparing to target junta's remaining camps in Ann,Sittwe, Maungdaw, Kyaukphyu, Thandwe, Gwa, Taungup, and Manaung townships, saidthe ULA statement.

The junta is trying to defend those remaining militarybases and preparing for the counter-offensives.

A Maungdaw-based military analyst stated that thejunta has deployed reinforcements to Maungdaw town and they are seeminglypreparing to reclaim the areas from the control of AA.

"I think they'll launch a new offensive on northern Maungdaw, which iscurrently held by the AA. Last evening, a surveillance aircraft flew betweenKyee Kan Pyin and 4-mile for many times,” he added.

On 1 June, the soldiers and weapons from Sittwe townwere sent by two landing craft to the 5th border guard police battalion, 2ndborder guard police battalion and Kanyin Chaung economic one via the Maungdawport of entry.

"We come to know that there are thousands of soldiers who are beingreinforced with military barges, including the 22nd division, 77th division,33rd division, 55th division, etc. At 6 am, reinforcements were sent to the border guardbattalions. More than 20 cars carried the soldiers and they are now deployedwith weapons," he stated.

The military junta is reinforcing multiple divisions in Maungdaw, but NarinjaraNews can not confirm the information independently.

Meanwhile, the  junta soldiers continue targeting civilian infrastructures, including hospitals in the villagesand towns. Moreover, they are targeting the civilians with airstrikes, dronebombings and deliberate attacks.

In an interview with The New Humanitarian, the AAleaders asserted that they have nearly 40,000 standing troops in addition toseveral thousand auxiliary members.