Over 100 junta soldiers, affiliates killed in 3-day battle in Maungdaw

 Narinjara News, 28 August 2024

During the three-day battle starting on 24 August, more than 100 bodies of junta forces and their affiliates were recovered. Meanwhile, many prisoners of war were captured, said the Arakan Army (AA), in a statement issued on 26 August.

The statement, which included many photographs, noted that these bodies were later buried. Some prisoners of war were captured from inside and outside of Maungdaw town.

Meanwhile, the junta soldiers  fleeing with weapons were pursued and the remaining defensive positions continued to face attacks from the AA fighters.

The AA has captured many junta strongholds and also rebels belonging to the military-trained armed groups like ARSA, RSO, and ARA. They are resisting ward number 2 (Fezi and Maung Ni villages) in Maungdaw.

On 26 August, the AA fighters launched a battle for Maungdaw and  the fighting in many areas is still going on.

Local residents reported that the junta soldiers, besieged by the AA fighters, desperately defended  the remaining 5th border guard police battalion (NaKhaKha-5). They also conducted a series of  airstrikes with jet fighters.

Two jet fighters dropped bombs near NaKhaKha-5 base at around 3 am on 26 August.

"The situation in the NaKhaKha-5 battalion remains critical and they seem to be on the brink of collapse. The jet fighters continued to drop bombs even in the night hours," said a Maungdaw resident.

On 25 August at around 9 am, two jet fighters dropped bombs and they repeated at 3 pm.

"Maungdaw, a western border town, experienced frequent ethnic and religious conflicts. If the military fails to protect Maungdaw, it may earn a bad name in  the  international arena. So they carried out airstrikes rigorously," said another local resident.

NaKhaKha-5, the only remaining battalion in Maungdaw, has been facing an  offensive from the AA fighters since 20 August and the  junta soldiers continue conducting airstrikes over the areas, added the resident.