Junta launches heavy offensives to penetrate Arakan State

By Admin 14 Aug 2026

DMG Newsroom

14 August 2026, Gwa

The military junta is launching heavy offensives using various tactics and methods in an attempt to penetrate Arakan State, which is controlled by the Arakan Army, according to a statement released by the ethnic Arakanese armed group on August 14.

The military junta is currently conducting offensives against Arakan Army positions along the Arakan-Ayeyarwady border, with fighting remaining intense in recent days.

The junta has launched the offensives with extensive support from aircraft, drones and ground-based heavy artillery, according to the Arakan Army statement.

However, through defensive and counteroffensive operations, the Arakan Army has repelled the attacks, causing junta forces to suffer casualties and retreat. The bodies of junta soldiers and military hardware were also seized, the statement said.

"The military junta is fighting with forcibly recruited militia members and personnel lacking combat effectiveness. That is why they are suffering casualties and retreating in disarray. However, I believe the military junta will continue attempting to enter Arakan State by any means possible," an Arakan-based military and political analyst said.

On August 12, the junta deployed large forces to launch offensives against Arakan Army columns near Point 101 hilltop camp in Yekyi Township, Ayeyarwady Region, and near Thabaung Kalay Village in Thabaung Township, triggering intense daylong clashes at five locations, according to the Arakan Army.

On the same day, a three-hour clash broke out about 1,000 meters east of Thabaung Kalay Village between the Arakan Army and Light Infantry Battalion No. 101 under Light Infantry Division No. 66, which advanced from Thabaung Township.

Similarly, clashes occurred south and southwest of Point 101 hilltop camp between the Arakan Army and Light Infantry Battalions No. 1 and No. 11 under Light Infantry Division No. 66, which advanced from Yekyi Township, according to the statement.

The military junta deployed jet fighters, Y-12 aircraft, drones and ground-based heavy artillery to support its large-scale troop deployments during the offensives, the Arakan Army said.

"The military junta is trying to enter from areas bordering Arakan State using various methods. However, they cannot withstand the defensive and counteroffensive attacks of the Arakan Army and its allied forces. Therefore, I assess that penetrating into Arakan State will be extremely difficult for them," said U Aung Marm Oo, DMG chief editor and political analyst.

The military junta is attempting to penetrate Arakan State from adjacent regions and states, including Ayeyarwady, Magway and Bago regions, as well as Chin State.

At the same time, the military junta has conducted continuous airstrikes in recent days on Gwa Township, which borders Ayeyarwady Region, as part of its efforts to penetrate Arakan State.

"Unable to break through into Arakan State, they are directly targeting civilians with group aerial bombardments. This constitutes a violation of international human rights and represents a blatant breach of the Geneva Conventions," he added.

On August 12 and 13, junta jet fighter bombings of Kaingkhon Village and Kyeintali Town in Gwa Township caused civilian casualties, killing eight people, including children and women.

The military junta has been launching offensives and repeated aerial bombardments against residential areas along the borders of three regions and one state for years in attempts to penetrate Arakan State.