The Arakan Army (AA) says it has relaunched attacks on Myanmar’s regime at Ramree town on the Rakhine State coast.
The junta previously bombarded the island town for weeks with fighter jets and gunboats before fighting restarted this week, according to media reports.
The AA said around 120 regime reinforcements were recently sent to the town and both sides have suffered casualties in the fighting on Tuesday.
It said its troops had seized junta weapons and ammunition and found soldiers’ bodies. On Monday a junta airplane parachuted ammunition to its troops in the town after two airstrikes, Western News reported, citing residents.
The AA said it seized some of the ammunition drops.
Ramree Township borders Kyaukphyu Township on the same island as a large special economic zone built with Chinese investment.
In mid-December AA troops clashed with regime forces stationed at the Aung Chan Thar hilltop pagoda to the south of Ramree town.
Since then junta aircraft and gunboats have bombarded Ramree town and nearby villages, displacing most of the town’s 8,000 residents and destroying many houses, schools, markets and a hospital, residents told the media.
AA and residents claim the junta used chemical weapons in the town on Sunday.
The junta dismissed the reports as fake news by the AA, which it said was being defeated by the regime’s counterattack and bombardment.
The AA claimed to have seized the Light Infantry Battalion 374 headquarters in Kyauktaw Township, Rakhine State, on Tuesday, despite a day of junta airstrikes to defend the stronghold.
On Sunday, the AA said it seized Light Infantry Battalion 380 headquarters in Minbya Township, despite the deployment of numerous reinforcements and the use of airstrikes.
The AA said on Wednesday that it is fighting to occupy all remaining junta headquarters in Minbya, Mrauk U, Kyauktaw and Rathedaung townships across northern Rakhine State.
The group is a member of the Brotherhood Alliance which launched Operation 1027 on October 27 last year across northern Shan State, seizing around 20 towns.
The AA began its attacks in Rakhine State on November 13 and says it has seized over 160 junta positions, as well as Pauktaw town near Rakhine State’s capital Sittwe and Paletwa Township in neighboring Chin State.
