The armed group “Arakan Army” in Myanmar (Burma) announced the control of a major military headquarters in the west of the country, marking the fall of the second regional leadership of the ruling military council, which is facing further defeats at the hands of armed resistance throughout the country.
The “Arakan” Army said in a statement issued on Friday night that the Western military command in Rakhine state bordering Bangladesh fell yesterday after heavy fighting for two weeks.
A spokesman for the military government in Myanmar could not be reached for comment on Saturday, according to the agency “Reuters”.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since early 2021 when the military overthrew an elected civilian government, sparking widespread protests that turned into an armed rebellion against the junta.
The “Arakan Army” is part of an anti-junta coalition that launched an offensive in October 2023 and achieved a number of important victories along Myanmar’s border with China.
In August, the coalition took control of the northeastern city of Lashio, the first takeover of a regional military command in Myanmar’s history.
Fighting resumed in Rakhine state, also home to the country’s Rohingya Muslim minority, last November after the collapse of a ceasefire between the “Arakan Army” and the junta, followed by a series of victories for rebel forces.
