Junta offensive toward Ponnagyun meets fierce resistance on Sittwe front

By Admin 31 Oct 2026

DMG Newsroom

31 October 2026, Sittwe

Battles between military junta forces and the Arakan Army are intensifying daily across Sittwe Township, the regime's last remaining stronghold in northern Arakan State, according to statements issued by the ethnic Arakanese armed group.

An Arakan Army statement released on October 30 said persistent junta offensives along the Sittwe front line throughout September and October had led to severe and intense fighting.

"Battles are taking place continuously up to the present moment," a local resident from neighbouring Ponnagyun Township told DMG. "The regime is deploying two to three jet fighters at a time to launch relentless airstrikes across Sittwe Township, while junta reconnaissance and attack aircraft hover constantly over the Ponnagyun border."

Ground clashes are concentrated near Amyint Kyun, Pardaleik and Yaychanpyin villages, as well as in the immediate vicinity of the junta's Regional Operations Command (ROC) in Sittwe.

The Arakan Army statement said that despite intensifying its offensive operations in an attempt to advance, the junta continues to suffer heavy casualties.

The Arakan Army added that its troops were effectively countering enemy advances through tactical flexibility, fluid manoeuvres and coordinated offensive and defensive operations.

"Over the past few days, the military has been gathering forces to push an offensive toward Ponnagyun," a source familiar with the frontline military situation said. "However, Arakan Army counteroffensives and tactical ambushes have completely stalled their advance. The ground situation around Sittwe remains extremely complex, with both sides locked in aggressive offensive and defensive manoeuvres."

Military observers said clashes were taking place at multiple locations across Sittwe Township, with both sides using heavy artillery, armed drones and ground forces in intense combat operations.

Although the military regime is attempting to launch counteroffensives from the Sittwe front to retake lost territory in neighbouring Ponnagyun and Werathani townships, Arakan Army counterattacks have inflicted heavy casualties on advancing junta columns.

The Arakan Army statement concluded that military operations and regular clashes continue across multiple connected fronts bordering Arakan State.