As it fights insurrection across the nation, an ethnic armed group in the western Myanmar state of Rakhine said that it has taken control of a town that borders Bangladesh and India. This is the military government’s most recent setback.
Several military outposts and towns have been taken over by allied anti-junta factions supported by a parallel administration advocating for democracy in Myanmar, which is experiencing a multifaceted insurgency. This is the largest test the junta has seen since overthrowing an elected government in 2021.
The Arakan Army (AA), according to a spokesman, declared late on Sunday that it had taken control of Paletwa, a port town on the Kaladan River that is essential to commerce with nearby nations.
“Regarding border stability issues, we will cooperate at our best with neighbouring countries,” said AA spokesperson Khine Thu Kha in a statement, adding the group will take over administration and law enforcement in the area.
A request for comment from a junta official was not answered. The AA’s assertion could not be independently confirmed by Reuters.
Following the capture of Laukkai town in northern Shan State near the Chinese border by the MNDAA, another rebel organization under the Three Brotherhood Alliance, Paletwa in the west fell.
A truce for the area bordering China was agreed upon by the junta and the alliance last week. Chinese officials facilitated the negotiations, which took place in the Chinese city of Kunming.
However, the rebel coalition said on Sunday that junta forces were attacking many Shan State townships in violation of the ceasefire agreement.
