Junta relinquishes Kyway Chai temporary military base in Gwa

Min Shin Saw, Narinjara News, 23 October 2024

The junta forces have relinquished the Kyway Chai temporary military base in Gwa township in southern part of Rakhine State close to Ayarwaddy Division following an intense fighting, said local residents.

On 21 October, the junta forces retreated from Kyway Chai village after a week of escalating clashes with the Arakan Army (AA) fighters in the area popular for a number of beach resorts.

"The military camp was attacked and captured by the AA fighters. While there were casualties on both sides, the junta forces suffered more. At least five military vehicles shifted the injured soldiers to Gwa town. When the camp fell, the fighter jets and Y12 aircraft carried out airstrikes, while navy vessels shelled over the area. Kyway Chai monastery and five houses were damaged in the fighting," added a resident.

The junta soldiers initially positioned themselves at Kyway Chai school and the monastery, resisting the AA offensive with support from air and naval forces. But finally they had to retreat after many casualties.

Local residents informed that nearly  100 junta soldiers were killed and many more injured in Kyway Chai. However, Narinjara News cannot independently authenticate the information.

A military analyst said that the junta set up four units at Ye Thiha monastery in Zee Kone village and they continuously fired toward the mountains behind Kyway Chai village, where the battle took place.

“There is a dam near Tha Byu creek behind Kyway Chai village. The nearby ridges are being struck by the artillery shells fired from the Zee Kone artillery battalion. After the AA fighters captured Kyway Chai, the junta soldiers thought that the AA troops retreated in that direction, and so they were firing artillery shells," added the resident.

He informed that after the AA troops captured Kyway Chai village, they also rescued the trapped villagers.

"Now it’s the time for harvesting the rice. So some people stayed in the village while some fled. Taing Kyoe and Kyway Chai are neighboring villages and those have a few residents only at this moment. The AA troops rescued the residents of Kyway Chai village who were trapped amid the fighting," he explained.

Currently, the junta forces have retreated to Satthwa village near Taing Kyoe village and they are planning to destroy the Satthwa bridge and lay mines to prevent the AA fighters from advancing.

The fierce fighting between the junta soldiers and AA fighters continues in Maungdaw, Ann, and Gwa townships. Though the junta soldiers tried to defend their bases, they failed repeatedly and now they are  relinquishing one camp after another.