Arakan Army seizes two Myanmar junta bases

The Arakan Army (AA) claims to have seized two Myanmar junta battalion headquarters in Mrauk U and Kyauktaw townships, Rakhine State.

The AA said it seized the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 378 headquarters on Monday morning after several days of fighting in historic Mrauk U.

Last Tuesday, the AA seized the adjacent LIB 540 headquarters and has been attacking the LIB 377 base in the township.

The three battalions have been shelling Mrauk U Archaeological Museum, the historic capital of the Mrauk U Kingdom, residential areas of the town and neighboring villages nearby, according to the AA.

The AA said it overran LIB 376 headquarters in Kyauktaw Township on February 2 and other junta bases in Minbya, Kyauktaw and Mrauk U townships are under attack.

Clashes continue in Rathedaung, Ponnagyun, Ramree and Ann townships amid regime bombardments from air and sea.

The AA is attacking border outposts in Taung Pyo on the Bangladeshi border in Maungdaw Township. Around 90 regime troops reportedly fled across the border on Sunday and Monday.

Bangladesh’s Border Guard Force said on Monday that nearly 100 junta border personnel entered Bangladesh to escape the AA’s raids.

Retreating regime forces have been chased and attacked by the AA with the regime responding with shelling and airstrikes.

On Monday, 48-year-old Bangladeshi woman Hosne Ara and a Rohingya man were killed in Bangladesh when a shell from fighting near the border hit a village across the border, the Bangladesh police said.

The AA also blamed the junta.

It has been attacking the regime across northern Rakhine State and neighboring Paletwa Township in southern Chin State since November 13.

It says it has seized around 170 junta positions, including Pauktaw town near the Rakhine capital, Sittwe, and the whole of Paletwa Township.