The ethnic Arakan Army (AA) has taken complete control of Taungup Township in southern Rakhine State after defeating the last regime stronghold there on Saturday.
The rebel group’s victory came just six days after it secured full control of northern Rakhine’s Maungdaw Township bordering Bangladesh.
After encircling Taungup Township and blocking all access roads to the military, the AA launched an offensive on Nov. 4, seizing a dozen regime bases in and outside Taungup town by Nov. 20.
Four days later it took full control of Taungup town and subsequently seized the headquarters of Light Infantry Battalions 346 and 544.
Finally on Saturday it captured the last junta base, Military Operation Command No. 5 outside the town, AA spokesman Khaing Thukha told The Irrawaddy.
“Our troops are now chasing and attacking fleeing regime forces from MOC No. 5,” he said.
The ethnic army has been holding all of Maungdaw township since Dec. 8 after defeating the last regime stronghold of Border Guard Police Battalion No. 5, which was manned by over 700 troops including Rohingya insurgent forces.
The AA arrested hundreds of regime forces in the process including the notorious Brigadier General Thurein Tun.
With that, the rebels are now in complete charge of Myanmar’s 270-km border with Bangladesh.
But clashes were reported in the township until Sunday as AA troops chased fleeing junta forces from the border guard base, arresting five junta soldiers in the township on Sunday, according to Rakhine media reports.
Fighting was also reported in the deep south of Rakhine State as AA troops attempted to seize Gwa town near the border with Ayeyarwady Region.
A regime battalion commander was reportedly killed on Sunday as the AA tried to capture the headquarters of Light Infantry Battalion 563 at the entrance of Gwa town and the junta defended the stronghold with warplanes.
The ethnic army is also poised to seize Ann Township as its troops move to capture the last regime stronghold there, the Western Military Command.
The AA is member of the Brotherhood Alliance of ethnic armed organizations, which has seized most of northern Shan State including the capital Lashio since launching anti-regime Operation 1027 in October last year.
The AA expanded the operation to its home state of Rakhine in November last year and has since seized 12 of its 17 townships plus a number of other towns as well as Paletwa Townships in neighboring Chin State.
