Naung Min Thu, Narinjara News, 26 September 2024

The Arakan Army (AA) has offered  a reward of Kyats10 million for capturing alive brigadier general Thurein Tun, commander of the5th border guard police battalion (NaKhaKha-5) based in Maungdaw, said local residents citing sources in the AA.

"We have learnt that the AA informed its fighters tocapture Thurein Tun alive and get away with a reward of Kyats 10 million. Anyother individual will also be awarded if they can catch the commander of 15thmilitary operations command stationed at NaKhaKha-5,” said a local resident.

Narinjara News can not authenticate the information aboutthe reward money of Kyats  10 million.

It’s still waiting for AA spokesperson U Khaing Thukha’sresponse against a Telegram query.

NaKhaKha-5 serves as the headquarters for the 15thmilitary operations command, based in Buthidaung and led by brigadier generalThurein Tun, who is currently resisting the AA offensive. Now the AA fightersare surrounding the camp from all four directions.

The soldiers, including those in NaKhaKha-5 found themselves with no means for escaping. Moreover, there is nocondition for reinforcements. So the AA fighters asked  Thurein Tun tosurrender considering the lives of other soldiers under his command.

The only way to supply food items and weapons to the battalion remains the airdropping.

"NaKhaKha-5 battalion is in a position to fall atany moment. The soldiers are not receiving  any supply even by the airdropping," said another resident.

On 20 September at around 3 pm,  the junta airdropped food items and weapons to NaKhaKha-5, but those landed outside theirrestricted areas. When the  junta soldiers tried to get the packages, theywere chased by the AA fighters. Many soldiers even lost their lives in theconflict.

"Now the soldiers in NaKhaKha-5  are dividedin opinions. Many even fled when they went to collect the air dropped supplies.Thurein Tun threatened to kill anyone who surrendered. But some soldiers arewilling to surrender,” added the resident.

Thurein Tun also did not provide sufficient rations to the border guardpersonnel protecting NaKhaKha-5 and he ordered snipers in the battalion to killanyone who attempted to retreat.

So the outposts had ultimately fallen into the handsof the AA.

On 23 September, the junta soldiers conducted threeairstrikes near NaKhaKha-5 using their fighter jets. The residents reportedthat the airstrikes hit at 2:05 am, 3:50 am and 7 am on that day.