Junta airstrikes target military outposts seized by Arakan Army in Arakan State

By Admin 07 Feb 2026

DMG Newsroom

7 February 2026, Minbya

Myanmar’s military regime has launched a series of airstrikes on army outposts and headquarters previously seized by the Arakan Army (AA) during fighting in Arakan State.

On the night of February 7, junta aircraft reportedly bombed the headquarters of Military Operations Command (MOC) No. 15 and surrounding areas in Buthidaung Township.

DMG is still investigating the number of casualties and the extent of damage caused by the airstrikes.

The Arakan Army fully seized control of Buthidaung Township on May 18, 2024.

The regime has frequently carried out airstrikes on former military headquarters and outposts now under the Arakan Army control, resulting in casualties among prisoners of war (POWs) and their family members detained at those sites.

“In strategic terms, the junta is adopting a ‘dog in the manger’ or scorched-earth policy—destroying what they can no longer hold,” a military observer in Arakan State told DMG. “They fear the Arakan Army will turn these outposts into permanent bases, so they are attempting to reduce remaining bunkers and buildings to rubble to prevent counter-attacks.”

Similarly, on January 26, junta jet fighters and Y-12 military aircraft bombed the former No. 9 military training school in Minbya Township, damaging several buildings.

In June 2025, airstrikes also targeted the former Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No. 550 in Ponnagyun Township and LIB No. 380 in Minbya Township.

Military and political analysts said the regime, facing defeat on the ground, is increasingly relying on air power to destroy former outposts to prevent the Arakan Army from using them and to preserve its image.

“Once an army loses control on the ground, airstrikes alone cannot help it retake territory,” a political analyst said. “This clearly indicates the regime is losing the war, while the Arakan Army continues to follow its planned military trajectory.”

Junta airstrikes have targeted not only civilian areas but also sites where POWs are detained. On January 20, an airstrike near Chaung Tu Village in Kyauktaw Township hit a POW detention camp, killing 21 prisoners and their family members and injuring 30 others.

Despite losing 14 townships in Arakan State to the Arakan Army, the regime is reportedly attempting counter-offensives in some areas and continues to conduct frequent airstrikes on AA-controlled townships.