Residents Report Heavy Clashes as AA Starts Campaign to Take Taungup Town

Kant Kaw Ni Ni & Min Shin Saw, Narinjara News, 1 November 2024

People living nearby say the Arakan Army (AA) has started a major attack on a junta artillery position on Pan Myauk Mountain, which is under the 5th Military Operations Command (MOC-5) in Taungup Town.

The attack began on the night of October 31, with AA fighters striking the junta's artillery base on Pan Myauk Mountain.

"We heard from people coming into town that AA fighters attacked Pan Myauk Mountain. They said planes were flying overhead and dropping bombs, while artillery fired all day. It stopped briefly around noon," a woman told Narinjara News at 1:50 pm.

Local sources say junta forces bombed and shelled the battle area and nearby parts of Taungup Town almost non-stop all day.

Pan Myauk Mountain, about 7 miles northeast of Taungup Town, is home to the old Pan Myauk Taung Pagoda. The junta has built up defenses on the mountain, including artillery, because its high ground gives a good view of the area.

It's not clear if AA forces have taken over the artillery position on Pan Myauk Mountain yet.

The fighting has made nearby residents run away, with many trying to leave town as junta planes keep bombing.

"I heard AA attacked the army camps in Taungup, and the fighting was fierce. The junta is bombing the outskirts and near military places. People are running away by any means they can," another resident said.

Taungup Town also has MOC-5, plus the 544th and 346th Light Infantry Battalions. The AA is now attacking Ann Town hard to the north of Taungup Township and has already taken all of Thandwe Township to the south.

In Taungup, the MPT phone line works only in some areas, with most connections down, so details of the fighting are still unclear.