Myanmar rebels say they have taken junta’s western regional command in Rakhine
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Soldiers of a Kayan ethnic rebel group fighting Myanmar’s junta at an event in Shan state on Oct 27.
PHOTO: AFP
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Naypyitaw – A rebel army in Myanmar has captured a major military headquarters in the country’s west, marking the fall of the junta’s second regional command as it faces mounting setbacks against a nationwide armed resistance movement.
The Arakan Army said the western military command in Rakhine state, which borders Bangladesh, fell on Dec 20 after two weeks of intense fighting.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since early 2021, when the military ousted an elected civilian government,
The Arakan Army is part of the Three Brotherhood Alliance – a collection of anti-junta groups – that launched an offensive in October 2023, notching several significant victories along Myanmar’s border with China.
In August, the alliance wrested control
A coastal province along the Bay of Bengal, Rakhine is one of Myanmar’s poorest regions, despite its offshore natural gas reserves and a planned economic zone in Kyaukpyu, from where pipelines carry oil and gas into China.
Fighting in Rakhine, which is also home to Myanmar’s mainly Muslim minority Rohingya community, resumed in November 2023 after a ceasefire between the Arakan Army and the junta broke down, leading to a series of victories for the rebel forces.
Some Rohingya activists allege that the Arakan Army targeted their community during its offensive in northern Rakhine, forcing tens of thousands to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh for safety.
The Arakan Army has denied the accusations. REUTERS
