Frequent clashes are being reported in mountainous areas along the Ann-Padan Road on the border between Rakhine State and Magwe Region as local resistance groups attempt to prevent junta reinforcements and supplies from reaching Ann town, which is being attacked by the Arakan Army (AA).
The AA has seized several regime battalion headquarters and bases in Ann Township, Rakhine State as it attempts to take control of Ann town, where the regime’s Western Military Command headquarters is located.
The Ann-Padan highway is crucial for the regime to transport more troops and supplies to Ann, according to local resistance groups. The regime has relied on the road for transporting troops and supplies into Rakhine State since the AA relaunched a major anti-regime offensive in November last year.
Local resistance group the Chin Defense Force (Asho) said it ambushed 20 regime forces performing security duty on a section of Ann-Padan Road in Ngape Township, Magwe Region at around 6 a.m. on Monday.
Those regime forces were assigned to safeguard a military convoy transporting reinforcements and supplies to Ann from Magwe Region via the Ann-Padan Road.
During the ambush, four regime soldiers were killed and many others injured, while a military weapon and some equipment were seized, said CDF (Asho).
However, the group’s spokesperson told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that they couldn’t prevent some military trucks from entering Ann Township.
Another firefight broke out on the Ann-Padan Road in Ngape Township last Thursday as another resistance group, the People’s Revolution Alliance (Magway) ambushed 40 regime forces east of Gokkyi Village, the resistance group said.
The group also claimed to have killed nine regime forces in the ambush while wounding 10 others.
The Irrawaddy was unable to independently verify the report.
The AA claimed in early November that it is poised to capture another four towns in Rakhine State including Ann.
The ethnic army said it had seized eight junta battalion headquarters during the fighting for Ann town, as well as a military hospital and an armory.
Only two of the remaining 10 junta positions in Ann house combat forces, while the rest house auxiliary units, it added.
The junta is reportedly using helicopters to send in reinforcements and supplies to the remaining bases in Ann town, which is encircled by AA troops.
The AA is a member of the Brotherhood Alliance, which launched the successful anti-regime Operation 1027 across northern Shan State in October last year, seizing most of northern Shan including some 25 towns and townships and the capital, Lashio.
The AA expanded the operation to its home state in November last year and has seized 11 of Rakhine’s 17 townships along with Paletwa Township in neighboring Chin State.
