Rebels deal heavy blow to Myanmar military, take control of key Rakhine base

A rebel army in Myanmar announced the capture of a major military headquarters in the South Asian country’s western Rakhine state, dealing a major blow to the ruling. The Arakan Army (AA), part of the anti-junta resistance movement, claimed that it seized the western military command on Friday after two weeks on intense fighting.
“This marks a turning point in the conflict,” the Arakan Army said in a statement late Friday night. Myanmar’s military government has not commented on the development.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military overthrew an elected civilian government in early 2021, sparking protests that escalated into a nationwide armed rebellion.
The Arakan Army, a member of the Three Brotherhood Alliance, has been instrumental in the resistance. The alliance launched an offensive in October 2023, achieving several key victories, including the historic seizure of Lashio in August, the first time a regional military command has fallen to rebel forces.
Rakhine, a coastal state bordering Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal, is one of Myanmar’s most impoverished regions despite its offshore natural gas reserves and a proposed economic zone in Kyauk Pyu, which hosts pipelines carrying oil and gas to China.
Fighting in Rakhine resumed last November after a ceasefire between the Arakan Army and the junta collapsed. Since then, the AA has made major territorial gains.
However, some Rohingya activists accuse the group of targeting their community during its offensive in northern Rakhine, forcing tens of thousands to flee to Bangladesh.