Naung Min Thu, Narinjara News, 25th February 2025

Sources report that the Arakan Army (AA) has carried out a search and clearance mission targeting multiple camps of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) in the northern part of Maungdaw Township, Arakan State. 

The camps were situated in the old Mel De (Muslim) settlement, in the Kun Thee Pin village tract, close to the Nant Thar Taung (Arakanese) village, Taung Pyo Let Wae, along the northern Arakan-Bangladesh border. 

“In February, the AA conducted an extensive search and clearance mission aimed at ARSA terrorist camps.They effectively dismantled multiple camps situated in the old Mel De village within the Kun Thee Pin village-tract, close to Nant Thar Taung village," a source stated. 

The operation was conducted by the AA based on intelligence that had been gathered, as per the sources. 

Residents of Mee Tike stated that on February 19 and 20, the AA initiated an offensive against ARSA militants near milestone 37 along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, near Mee Tike village in northern Maungdaw Township. 

“ARSA militants are trying to execute assaults on peaceful Muslim, Arakanese, and Hindu communities near the Arakan-Bangladesh frontier. It is thought that the Myanmar military has instructed ARSA officials to generate unrest along the border," a source from the Muslim community stated.

On October 19, 2024, the AA reported an encounter with ARSA insurgents in a mountainous area situated 6.2 kilometers northwest of Kha Yu Chaung (Muslim) village in Buthidaung Township. 

In the confrontation, the AA took control of four ARSA insurgent bases, as well as armaments and munitions provided by the Myanmar military. Several bodies of ARSA rebels were also discovered.