Arakan Army Tightens Grip on Myanmar’s Rakhine State, Seizes Control of Strategic Border Town.
In a significant development in Myanmar’s complex civil conflict, the Arakan Army (AA), the country’s most formidable ethnic minority armed group, has seized full control of the strategically crucial town of Maungdaw, located on the border with Bangladesh.
The capture of Maungdaw, which was the last remaining army outpost in the area, marks a major victory for the AA and consolidates its grip over the northern part of Rakhine state. By seizing this strategic western town, the rebel group has now secured the entirety of the 271-kilometer-long border with Bangladesh.
“The outpost commander, Brig. Gen. Thurein Tun, was captured while attempting to flee the battle,” revealed Khaing Thukha, a spokesperson for the Arakan Army, in a statement to the Associated Press.
The Arakan Army’s latest triumph comes on the heels of its growing territorial control in the region. Since November 2023, the group has gained control of 11 of Rakhine’s 17 townships, as well as one township in the neighboring Chin state, further solidifying its position as a formidable force in Myanmar’s nationwide civil war.
Rakhine state has emerged as a crucial battleground in the ongoing conflict, with pro-democracy guerrillas and ethnic minority armed groups, including the Arakan Army, battling the military junta that seized power in 2021 after ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
The Arakan Army’s capture of Maungdaw has significant strategic implications. The town’s location on the border with Bangladesh, coupled with the group’s growing control of the region, could potentially enable it to exert influence over the movement of people and goods across the porous frontier.
Notably, the Arakan Army has also ordered the suspension of transport across the Naf River, citing concerns that police and local Muslims affiliated with the military were attempting to flee to Bangladesh by boat.
The group’s consolidation of power in the strategically important Maungdaw town represents a significant challenge to the military junta’s control over the region.
