Arakan Army launches offensive on junta naval station near Sittwe

By Admin 02 Mar 2026

DMG Newsroom

2 March 2026, Sittwe

The Arakan Army (AA) has launched a fresh offensive against the junta’s Shwe Mingan naval station and several military outposts near Zawmadat Village, north of Sittwe, according to local residents and military sources.

The Arakan Army is currently encircling the Shwe Mingan naval station from both land and sea. In response, the military regime is mounting a heavy defense, utilizing artillery support from ground forces and warships stationed in the Kaladan River.

"The Arakan Army is attacking the military regime from both land and water. The regime is responding with heavy weapons fire from the No. 12 Police Battalion and warships in the Kaladan River," said a source familiar with the ground situation. "The ongoing clashes at the Shwe Mingan naval station are taking place just over a mile from Sittwe".

The conflict in Sittwe Township has intensified significantly, with fighting shifting from the borders of Ponnagyun Township to within approximately one mile of the state capital.

Having secured Wahbo Island, which borders Ponnagyun and Sittwe townships, the Arakan Army is now leveraging its position to strike at junta camps and expand its controlled territory.

In anticipation of the Arakan Army’s advance, the military regime has reinforced its defensive positions along the Sittwe-Ponnagyun border. Reports indicate that the junta has deployed additional personnel, ammunition, and armored vehicles to military battalions in the villages of Amyint Kyun and Pardaleik.

Sittwe residents report hearing the near-constant sounds of heavy and small arms fire. "We hear shooting from the direction of the Shwe Mingan naval station and the No. 12 Police Battalion every day," said one local resident. "We know there is fighting, though most civilians have already fled the area. Inside the city, movement remains relatively normal".

Clashes in the area had previously subsided but resumed in late February. For the military regime, maintaining control of Sittwe is critical for its regional presence, while for the Arakkha Army, Sittwe remains the last major urban center in northern Arakan State yet to be captured.