Junta honours 38 conscripts amid intense fighting in Sittwe

By Admin 31 Oct 2026

DMG Newsroom

31 October 2026, Sittwe

The military junta has held a ceremony to honour 38 conscripted soldiers reportedly returning from frontline combat zones in Sittwe Township, Arakan State, according to regime media reports.

The reports said the soldiers had completed their mandatory military service under the Western Command and received certificates of completion and cash awards of K300,000 each.

The discharge ceremony was held at a military station in Sittwe on October 30.

The event was attended by Western Command Commander Brigadier-General Kyaw Zaw, junta-appointed Arakan State Chief Minister U Naing Oo, and Arakan State Parliament Speaker Dr. San Shwe.

Speaking at the ceremony, U Naing Oo, a member of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), said: "Once a soldier, always a soldier. You must remain ready to serve if a state of emergency arises in the country."

The Arakan Army (AA) has reported that heavy fighting continues along the Sittwe front due to persistent offensives by junta forces.

The Arakan Army said that despite suffering heavy casualties, junta forces continue attempting to advance on the ground along the front line.

Military observers said holding a discharge ceremony while intense fighting continues around Sittwe could be a propaganda tactic aimed at projecting an image of stability to soldiers and the public.

"In reality, conscripts are forced onto the frontline as cannon fodder, leading to daily casualties," a local military analyst told DMG. "The regime stages these ceremonies to hide its losses and project an illusion of control, primarily to encourage continued recruitment and mobilization of conscripts."

In a related development, Western Command Commander Brigadier-General Kyaw Zaw visited wounded soldiers receiving medical treatment at the 100-bed Military Hospital in Sittwe on October 30 to encourage them.

Local residents in Sittwe said that both the military hospital and Sittwe General Hospital were overwhelmed with junta personnel wounded in recent clashes.

Fighting between the military junta and the Arakan Army in Sittwe Township has intensified, with active combat zones reaching the vicinity of the Regional Operations Command (ROC).

Clashes are ongoing along the Sittwe–Ponnagyun border and near Shwe Min Gan Naval Base, Pardaleik, Amyint Kyun, Kyarmathauk and Yaychanpyin villages.

Although the regime launched Operation 4926 with reinforced troop deployments in an effort to reclaim lost territory, Arakan Army forces continue to maintain pressure around Sittwe.