Junta offensive dubbed ‘Operation 4926’ stalls on multiple Arakan fronts

By Admin 10 Sep 2026

DMG Newsroom

10 September 2026, Ponnagyun

It has been one week since the military junta launched an offensive dubbed ‘Operation 4926’ along the Sittwe-Ponnagyun border, with intense fighting continuing on multiple fronts, according to military sources.

Pro-military junta influencers refer to the Ponnagyun offensive launched on September 4 as ‘Operation 4926’, although the military regime has not formally announced the designation.

Ground sources report that while the joint army, navy, and air operation was launched simultaneously, junta vanguard troops suffered immediate setbacks and were forced to retreat.

On September 4, a military junta column advancing from Sittwe across Minchaung Bridge briefly captured a small Arakan Army outpost near the bridge.

However, counterattacks by the Arakan Army disrupted the military regime’s strategic objective of advancing toward Ponnagyun and Rathedaung, inflicting heavy casualties and forcing junta troops back as fierce clashes continue along the border.

"Fighting along the Sittwe-Ponnagyun border remains intense. Clashes are severe near Ah Myint Kyun Bridge, as well as near Khamaungdaw and Aungmyaygon villages," a military source stated.

Sources close to the military regime indicated that junta forces had been preparing ‘Operation 4926’ for a long time, pre-positioning joint land, naval, and air assets while building up troop concentrations.

Military sources noted that more than 10,000 personnel had been assembled in Sittwe Township, comprising 15 local battalions and troops who retreated from other parts of Arakan State.

Concurrently, the military junta launched operations in Kyaukphyu Township, advancing from near Taung Maw Oo naval station toward Sanae Town amid ongoing heavy clashes.

The military regime is also conducting airstrikes and naval bombardments against Thandwe and Gwa townships in attempts to make coastal landings.

"Looking at the Arakan front, the military regime is launching simultaneous offensives across Ponnagyun, the Angumaw side of Rathedaung, Kyaukphyu, and Gwa using combined land, naval, and air forces. While news from Gwa remains quiet, around 500 troops from Light Infantry Division No. 101 are gradually advancing toward Bawmi, so ground clashes in Gwa Township will likely intensify," said Captain Zin Yaw, a military defector.

The military regime is initiating operations from its remaining strongholds inside Arakan State while attempting to penetrate the state from neighboring Ayeyarwady, Bago, and Magway regions.

However, analysts observe that the military regime faces tactical setbacks under Arakan Army counteroffensives, relying heavily on overwhelming air, naval, and ground forces as its operational momentum stalls.

Operation 4926 marks the first major military campaign launched since General Ye Win Oo assumed command as the new Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services.

"Although the military regime launched an offensive into Ponnagyun Township under the banner of ‘Operation 4926’, its vanguard was broken and forced back. The Kyaukphyu front also suffered heavy losses with no forward progress. The military regime tried to push forward relying on raw numbers, but because the Arakan Army’s defence and counterattack capabilities far exceed those of the military regime, ‘Operation 4926’ has no chance of success," said an observer monitoring the conflict in Arakan State.

Following troop reinforcements in Sittwe Township in mid-August, the military regime attempted to push into Ponnagyun and Rathedaung townships in early September.

Military analysts view ‘Operation 4926’ as a failed attempt to replicate the naming convention of the Three Brotherhood Alliance’s ‘Operation 1027’, noting that the junta offensive has stalled and turned into a retreat.

Consequently, observers warn civilians to maintain heightened awareness of military risks, as the military regime may increase attacks targeting non-combatants to apply pressure on the Arakan Army following battlefield setbacks.

"When executing military operations, instead of fighting armed forces directly, the military regime uses tactics that threaten and target civilians to exert pressure on the Arakan Army, creating severe risks for the local population," an observer of the conflict in Arakan State noted.

The campaign to capture towns across Arakan State initiated by the Arakan Army in November 2023 has entered its third year, with the ethnic Arakanese armed group now controlling 14 townships across almost the entire state.

With the Arakan Army chief stating that remaining towns in Arakan State will be captured before 2027, military and political analysts assess that the current battles are paving the way toward a total takeover of Arakan State.