Thinzar Nwe, Narinjara News, 30 December 2024 

Military tensions continue between the 32nd police battalion and the Arakan Army (AA) in Kyaukphyu Township, Arakan State, where Chinese projects are located.

Kyaukphyu is one of the three towns in Arakan State that remains outside AA control. The capital, Sittwe, continues to be tense, whereas Manaung is quite peaceful. 

Despite multiple battalions being deployed in Kyaukphyu Town, military tensions between the 32nd police battalion and the AA have persisted on the town's periphery since late December. A male resident of Kyaukphyu informed Narinjara News that this has resulted in limitations on entry and exit from the area. 

"The military situation is strained, and we are unsure when hostilities may begin. That’s the reason we refrain from going outside during the daytime. The roads are deserted, with no one coming in or going out of the town," he stated. 

In the urban regions of Kyaukphyu, joint nighttime patrols are being conducted that include Muslim recruits who received military training, police officers, and soldiers, with regular gunfire coming from the 32nd police battalion, a resident informed Narinjara News.

“Besides the soldiers and officers in the city, the police battalion likewise opens fire, particularly during the night. They fire at anyone who goes out after dark, causing individuals in the town and surrounding villages to hesitate leaving their homes. The 32nd police battalion also discharges small weapons in unexpected areas. It's especially hard for workers like us," the resident remarked. 

In December, local residents reported that the junta conducted airstrikes using fighter jets and drones, hitting forests and mountains near Kyaukphyu Township. 

In November, locals, together with relatives of police personnel and junta troops, fled from Kyaukphyu Town following reports that the Arakan Army (AA) intended to initiate an attack on the 32nd police battalion. 

Kyaukphyu Township houses the Dhanyawadi and Taung Maw Gyi naval bases, along with the 34th Infantry Battalion, the 542nd and 543rd Light Infantry Battalions, and the 32nd Police Battalion. 

The junta believes that Kyaukphyu Town is encircled by the Arakan Army (AA), and the 32nd police battalion has been recklessly launching artillery shells at adjacent villages and hills. 

The junta has heightened its presence in various parts of Kyaukphyu Town and is ramping up arrests and searches.