The Arakan Army (AA) seized Pauktaw in Rakhine State at around 7 a.m. on Thursday, prompting the junta’s military to launch air strikes and naval attacks on the town, according to residents.
The AA seized the Pauktaw Township Police Station at around 8 p.m. on Wednesday evening before managing to take control of all regime departmental offices and capture Pauktaw town, which is in Sittwe District on Myanmar’s western coast.
“The junta’s military sent two helicopter gunships at around 9:20 a.m. They dropped bombs and fired machine guns. The people had to hide in trenches they had prepared. No one dared to run out of their homes,” said U Bo, a 39-year-old resident of Pauktaw.
With the town left in ruins, most residents opted to remain in the trenches, but that changed when junta navy ships opened fire on the town at around 1 p.m.
“Then we all fled into the villages, away from the waterways, as the navy ships fired continuously,” said a man who fled on a motorcycle, carrying an elderly relative with him.
No clashes broke out on the ground, the residents said, but as the AA had already taken control of the town, the junta military responded with the heavy air and naval attacks.
Conflict analysts said that as Pauktaw is located close to Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine State, the seizure of the town will likely be seen as a threat by the junta. They warned that the AA will face serious challenges in holding the town and extending its operations there, as the regime will likely make great efforts to retake it.
The Irrawaddy tried to reach AA spokesperson Khaing Thu Kha for comment, but he did not reply. AA officers on the ground confirmed the seizure of Pauktaw and said their troops are committed to holding it.
Emergency teams from nearby towns said they had heard reports that Pauktaw residents had been injured, and expressed regret at not being able to reach the town due to the junta’s restrictions on traveling on roads linking towns and cities in Rakhine State.
In the first 24 hours of its offensive operation in Rakhine State, which was launched on Monday, the AA seized over 40 junta military and police outposts, the armed group said in a statement.
On Wednesday, in addition to the Pauktaw Township Police Station, the AA seized a police station in Tain Nyo Village, Mrauk-U Township, and another in Kyauk Ni Maw Village, Ramree Township. Pauktaw is the first town the AA has captured since the current operation began.
The AA’s operation in Rakhine State was launched in harmony with Operation 1027, which continues to spread across northern Shan State and has made headlines since it was launched by the tripartite Brotherhood Alliance in late October. The alliance comprises the AA, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army.
