The Arakan Army (AA) announced on Saturday that it took full control of Ann Township, 198 miles (318 km) southeast of the Arakan State capital Sittwe, after the fall of the Western Regional Military Command (RMC) headquarters in central Arakan State on Friday.
“The AA has seized the entire headquarters,” a source close to the AA told DVB. It also released photographs of captured senior officers, including Brigadier Generals Thaung Tun and Kyaw Kyaw Than, who were in charge of protecting the Western RMC.
“These successes are attributed not only to the efforts of the Arakan Army but also to the support of the entire Arakan people, the cooperation of allied groups, and some unnamed friends. We deeply appreciate all individuals and groups involved,” added the AA in its statement on Dec. 21.
With the seizure of Ann Township from the military, the AA now has 14 townships under its control. This includes Arakan’s Pauktaw, Minbya, Mrauk-U, Kyauktaw, Myebon, Ponnagyun, Ramree, Rathedaung, Buthidaung, Thandwe, Taungup, Maungdaw and Chinland’s Paletwa.
The AA continues its offensive against the military in Gwa Township, southern Arakan. Regime authorities in neighboring Ayeyarwady Region have ordered Gwa residents, who had fled their homes due to the conflict and are Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) staying in Chaungtha and Shwethaungyanm towns, to return to their homes in Arakan by Dec. 22.
All that remains left for the AA – after it launched its offensive to liberate Arakan from the regime on Nov. 13, 2023 – is four towns: Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, Gwa and Munaung. The fall of the Western RMC in Ann is the second headquarters in Myanmar’s history to fall to anti-regime forces. The Northeastern RMC in Lashio, northern Shan State, was seized by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) on Aug. 3.
