Myanmar junta troops blew up a major road bridge at the entrance to Buthidaung town in Rakhine State on Monday after the ethnic Arakan Army (AA) seized five battalion headquarters including Military Operations Command (MOC) 15 in Buthidaung Township.
The AA seized the MOC 15 base, located 3.9 miles east of Buthidaung town, on May 2, capturing hundreds of regime soldiers including the deputy commander, plus their family members.
The ethnic army captured the township’s Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 551 headquarters the next day, May 3.
Clashes were reported in the township as AA troops attacked junta soldiers fleeing from their MOC 15 and LIB 551 bases. The AA said numerous junta soldiers were killed in the attacks.
Following the defeats, regime forces used mines to blow up the major bridge on the Mayu River at 3:42 pm on Monday, Rakhine local media reported. The bridge is located on the main road linking Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Ponnagyun townships in the state.
Aerial video released by local news outlet Arakan Bay News shows the bridge being destroyed.
Residents told Rakhine media that junta troops had destroyed the bridge as they were afraid of AA raids. Junta forces still control town.
On April 25, junta soldiers also blew up a bridge linking two villages in Buthidaung Township.
The AA said it has seized more than a third of the 13 junta battalion headquarters in Buthidaung since launching its offensive in the township a few months ago.
The ethnic army released a video on Monday showing hundreds of regime soldiers and their families from No. 15 MOC being detained along with the deputy commander of the base.
The AA is also attacking regime targets in Rakhine’s Maungdaw, Ann, Kyaukphyu and Thandwe townships, the rebel army said.
In February, regime forces destroyed two major road bridges leading to Rakhine State’s capital of Sittwe after AA troops surrounded the city.
In mid-February, a junta battalion fleeing Ma-ei town in Taungup Township also dynamited two major road bridges as it retreated to Kyaukphyu Township in the state.
The ethnic army launched a large-scale offensive against regime targets in Rakhine State and Paletwa Township, southern Chin State, in November last year.
It has since seized around 180 junta bases, including several military headquarters, as well as six of Rakhine’s 17 townships, three towns outside the six townships, and Paletwa.
