Destruction of historical heritage sites is rising in war-torn Arakan State as the military junta attacks ancient pagodas in violation of international laws protecting cultural heritage, according to local residents.

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.

The 87th anniversary of U Ottama Day was commemorated on a small scale in some townships across Arakan State on September 9 due to ongoing intense fighting, according to local residents.

Clashes between the military junta and the Arakan Army along the border of Sittwe and Ponnagyun townships remained intense as of September 9, according to military sources.

Authorities in India’s Mizoram State have introduced tighter restrictions on refugees and foreigners in Lawngtlai District, a key gateway for cross-border trade between India and Arakan, potentially creating additional difficulties for Arakanese traders operating in the area.

Local residents in Thandwe Township, Arakan State, are experiencing severe safety concerns and panic following continuous military junta airstrikes and naval bombardments in recent days.

The United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) expanded its administrative and judicial measures across areas under its control in August, while intensifying conflict, economic hardship and humanitarian pressures continued to affect communities across Arakan, according to a new report by the Center for Arakan Studies (CAS).

Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG) awarded military honours, medals and decorations to 1,792 resistance members on September 7, marking the fifth anniversary of the People’s Defensive War against military rule.

Clashes triggered by a military junta offensive advancing from Sittwe Township across Minchaung Bridge into Ponnagyun Township have continued for four consecutive days as of September 7, according to military sources.

Narinjara News marked its 25^th anniversary on September 7, reaching a milestone for one of Arakan’s long-running ethnic media organisations at a time when independent journalism continues to face major political and security challenges in Arakan and across Myanmar.

Violence, human rights violations and massacres committed against civilians by the military junta are escalating across Myanmar.

Thousands of local residents from Ponnagyun and Rathedaung townships bordering Sittwe are fleeing to safer areas due to fighting in the Arakan State capital, according to local sources.

The military junta crossed Minchaung Bridge from Sittwe Township to launch an offensive toward Ponnagyun Township, leading to heavy clashes with the Arakan Army, according to a military source.

The military junta is attempting to land troops using warships along the coasts of Thandwe and Gwa townships in southern Arakan State to launch an offensive, according to local sources.

The ministry blamed the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) for triggering the 2017 crisis, citing coordinated attacks on 30 police outposts and a military headquarters in northern Arakan. It accused some countries of overlooking ARSA's actions when discussing subsequent events.

Local residents in Thandwe Township, Arakan State, which is being targeted by continuous military junta airstrikes, are facing severe healthcare hardships due to acute medicine shortages and a scarcity of healthcare personnel, according to local sources.

Clashes between the military junta and the Arakan Army in Sittwe Township, Arakan State, which resumed on September 4, continued to rage on September 5, according to a military source.

A coalition of civil society organizations has urged the Malaysian government to immediately suspend the planned return of 1,476 Myanmar nationals later this month, warning that ongoing armed conflict and human rights violations make Myanmar unsafe for their return.

Justice For Myanmar (JFM) has criticised Vietnam for inviting Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing on an official visit, accusing Hanoi of deepening its involvement with the military regime through business, defence and technology ties.