Arakan Army captures two forward outposts of junta's regional command in Sittwe

By Admin 10 Jan 2026

DMG Newsroom

10 January 2026, Sittwe

Fighting remains intense after the Arakan Army (AA) captured two forward outposts of the junta's Regional Command Headquarters in Sittwe, which is still under the control of Myanmar's military regime, according to sources familiar with the situation.

The Arakan Army seized the two outposts on January 9 through ground assaults and drone strikes.

As of the morning of January 10, clashes were continuing near the Regional Command Headquarters in Sittwe Township, as well as around Kyarmathauk and Gantgawkyun villages, military sources said.

"As far as we know, the Arakan Army has captured two forward outposts of the Regional Command Headquarters," a source familiar with the ground situation said. "One is about two miles from the headquarters, and the other is around four miles away."

The source added that the AA had captured prisoners of war during the fighting and that clashes were ongoing. "The military regime is firing heavy weapons from the Regional Command Headquarters," he said.

Hundreds of junta soldiers injured in the fighting are reportedly receiving treatment at the regime's 100-bed military hospital, the source added.

The Arakan Army has been conducting ground offensives against forward outposts of the Regional Command Headquarters since early January, including a military base in Gantgawkyun Village, a base near Tawkan Village, and an outpost near Yartan Village.

A Sittwe resident said junta battalions based in the town are firing heavy weapons on a daily basis and that gunfire can be heard at close range.

"I heard that there is fighting near Sittwe. I hear the sound of heavy weapons firing every day, including this morning," said a local woman. "Heavy weapons are being fired daily from the Regional Command Headquarters in northern Sittwe."

Despite the intense fighting between the military regime and the Arakan Army in Sittwe Township, the regime is marking the 200th anniversary of Sittwe's founding with a festival in the city, residents said.

The Arakan Army currently controls Ponnagyun, Rathedaung and Paukta townships, which border Sittwe, and is seeking to expand its control by securing villages in Sittwe Township.

Locals said fighting has been intense on a daily basis in Sittwe and Kyaukphyu since late December, during the first half of the election period.