The Myanmar regime’s military has lost another lieutenant colonel, who was among many regime forces killed as they attempted to flee the advancing Arakan Army (AA) in Minbya Township, Rakhine State on Friday, the ethnic rebel army said.
The AA warned all regime forces in Rakhine State to raise the white flag or face death.
It said its troops chased and attacked fleeing regime forces during its seizure of a military division headquarters in Kyauktaw Township and the junta’s 9th Central Military Training School in Minbya Township. It has also captured a number of fleeing regime forces.
On Friday, AA troops found the bodies of many killed regime forces including Lieutenant Colonel Ye Htut Win, the head of the 9th Military Training School’s administration department, after a clash with retreating soldiers.
The ethnic army’s troops also rescued 20 villagers who had been taken hostage by the killed lieutenant colonel and his group.
The AA took complete control of the school—the last remaining military stronghold in Minbya Township—after overrunning a dozen military outposts surrounding it on Feb. 26 during 10 days of intense fighting.
Brigadier General Kyaw Htin, the principal of the school, and his wife reportedly escaped after fleeing the area.
Last Monday, as they captured Light Infantry Battalion 550 Headquarters—the last remaining junta stronghold in Ponnagyun town—AA troops killed the base’s tactical commander Colonel Myo Min Ko Ko and another senior officer, Major Saw Htwe, as well as Lieutenant Colonel Phyo Thu Aung, the commander of the junta’s Infantry Battalion 208, along with many other regime troops. Ponnagyun is not far from Rakhine State’s capital, Sittwe.
On Saturday, military bases in Sittwe shelled nearby Rathedaung town, burning over 10 civilian houses, the ethnic army said. The junta continued to bombard Ramree town from the sea and air on the same day.
The AA has waged a large-scale offensive against regime targets in Rakhine State and Paletwa Township in neighboring Chin State since Nov. 13 last year. It has seized over 170 junta strongholds and some nine towns.
Several hundred regime forces including commanders have been captured along with their families.
After suffering a series of humiliating defeats, losing towns and troops, the junta has begun forcibly recruiting and training Rohingya people in Rakhine to fight for the regime.
