Arakan Army Advances on Key Junta Weapons Factories in Bago Region

The Arakan Army (AA) has advanced within artillery range of two major junta defense equipment factories in south-central Myanmar’s Bago Region, triggering daily heavy clashes, artillery exchanges, and regime airstrikes, according to local sources. The ethnic armed group has closed in on Directorate of Defence Industries (DDI) facilities No. 9 and No. 16 in Padaung Township, Pyay District. In response, junta forces positioned near Mathon Village have been firing heavy howitzers daily since Sept. 4 to halt the AA's progress, supported by airstrikes. AA troops responding from nearby hilltops have recently captured critical defensive outposts, including the Kywekantaung encampment—the primary buffer for DDI-16—and "Point 666," a strategic base in the Thayedan Reserved Forest with jungle routes connecting directly to Thandwe Township in neighboring Rakhine State. Residents from nearby Okshitpin Village reported near-constant artillery fire resuming every dawn. The AA previously struck the facility in February, forcing a temporary shutdown and defensive buildup.