Min ShinSaw, Narinjara News, 23 October 2024

The junta forces have relinquishedthe Kyway Chai temporary military base in Gwa township in southern part of Rakhine State close to AyarwaddyDivision following an intensefighting, said local residents.

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

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

The juntasoldiers initially positioned themselves at Kyway Chai school and themonastery, 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 thejunta set up four units at Ye Thiha monastery in Zee Kone village and theycontinuously fired toward the mountains behind Kyway Chai village, where thebattle took place.

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

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

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

Currently, the junta forces haveretreated to Satthwa village near Taing Kyoe village and they are planning todestroy the Satthwa bridge and lay mines to prevent the AA fighters fromadvancing.

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