The ethnic Arakan Army (AA) has urged the remaining regime troops defending the Western Military Command in Ann town, Rakhine State, to surrender and return to their families ahead of its final push to seize the base.
On Tuesday, the ethnic army released a video showing dozens of regime soldiers and their family members being escorted by AA troops after their capture in the battle for the junta’s last remaining stronghold in Rakhine.
Aerial footage shows the Western Command headquarters engulfed in flames, with large sections of the building severely damaged.
The separate video issued by the AA on Monday shows dozens more regime troops, including wounded men, being guarded by AA members after they were captured during the Ann offensive.
The AA states in both videos that regime troops who surrender will survive and get the chance to reunite with their families.
“No surrender with white flag, no happy New Year,” the ethnic army warned.
Observers believe that the Western Military Command has been completely defeated by AA forces, though the ethnic army had not announced its capture as of Wednesday evening.
AA spokesman Khaing Thu Kha could not be reached for comment.
On Dec 6, the AA announced it had seized over 30 regime bases in Ann Township, including several battalion headquarters, with only the Western Military Command left to be defeated.
The stronghold looks set to become the second of Myanmar’s 14 regional military hubs lost by the regime, following the Brotherhood Alliance’s capture of Northeastern Command in the northern Shan State capital of Lashio in early August after a month-long battle.
The AA this month seized complete control of two more Rakhine State townships, Taungup and Maungdaw bordering Bangladesh.
Fighting is also reported in southernmost Rakhine, where the AA has launched an offensive to capture Gwa township bordering Ayeyarwady Region.
The AA joined its Brotherhood Alliance allies and resistance groups including People’s Defense Forces under the civilian National Unity Government (NUG) to seize most of northern Shan State after launching Operation 1027 in October last year.
The ethnic army expanded the operation to its home state in November last year and has since seized 12 of its 17 townships plus a number of other towns as well as Paletwa Township in neighboring Chin State.
