AA desk
 

Myanmar’s military junta has intensified air and artillery strikes on civilian areas in Rakhine State, following a China-brokered ceasefire that has paused fighting in northern Shan State, according to the Arakan Army (AA).

 

The AA, an ethnic armed group controlling much of Rakhine, accused the regime of exploiting the lull in Shan to escalate attacks in the west. On Thursday alone, junta forces reportedly bombarded AA-held townships including Rathedaung, Ponnagyun, and Pauktaw, as well as parts of Kyaukphyu and Sittwe. The strikes killed at least eight civilians and wounded 22 others.

 

A further airstrike on Friday morning in Pan Nilar village, Ponnagyun Township, left four more dead and ten critically injured.

 

In a statement, the AA condemned the attacks as “brazen war crimes”, accusing the junta of targeting schools, hospitals, and religious gatherings. “The regime is brutally and ruthlessly killing innocent civilians to cover up its military defeats,” it said, urging residents to remain vigilant.

 

The AA is part of the Brotherhood Alliance, alongside the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). Their joint offensive—Operation 1027—has seized large swathes of northern Shan State, including key trade routes to China.

 

However, under pressure from Beijing, both the MNDAA and TNLA have agreed to ceasefires. The AA, more geographically isolated and under less direct Chinese influence, has not. It is now pushing to capture Sittwe, the Rakhine state capital, and Kyaukphyu, a strategic hub for Chinese oil and gas pipelines.

 

The group has also expanded operations into central Myanmar, claiming territory in Magwe, Bago, and Ayeyarwady regions.

 

As the conflict shifts westward, the humanitarian toll continues to rise—underscoring the fragility of ceasefires and the growing complexity of Myanmar’s multi-front civil war.

 

 

-2025-11-03

On 11/3/2025 at 9:17 AM, geovalin said:

Myanmar’s military junta has intensified air and artillery strikes on civilian areas in Rakhine State,

 

Genocidal maniacs!