Battles Spread to Sittwe City, Division Commander of No. 101 Dispatched to Frontline Command, Provisional Government Forces Face Military Setback

Following the loss of numerous military bases and headquarters in Rakhine State, battles have spread back to Sittwe City, forcing the commander of Division No. 101, primarily deployed in offensives in Ponnagyun and Rathedaung, to be dispatched to the intense frontline for direct command, indicating a military setback for the provisional government forces. The commander of Division No. 101, who has been providing artillery support from the Panyar-10 school, an educational training unit in Padale village, Sittwe city, is being planned by Major General Kyaw Zaw (Satath-43), commander of the Western Regional Military Command (Napaka), to descend to the frontline in Amin Gyi village and personally lead the operations. "When a division commander at the rank of Major General has to lead from the front, are we seeing them kneeling or lying on their backs? " said CDM Major Zin Yaw. The provisional government forces launched the offensive in Ponnagyun and Rathedaung with over 1,500 troops, utilizing 10 subordinate regiments of Division No. 101, two regiments based in Sittwe, along with support fire from drone units and warships. However, out of 87 military bases and headquarters in Rakhine State, 56 headquarters, including the Western Regional Military Command (Napaka), have been destroyed or lost. Currently, only 21 army units and 10 naval base headquarters, including the Dhanyawadi Naval Headquarters, totaling 31 unit headquarters, remain within the Sittwe and Kyaukphyu townships. The battle in Ponnagyun, which began on September 4, has completed one full month today, October 4. The battles have now extended into Sittwe city, and although Division No. 101 and local regiments are fiercely resisting, the military forces are suffering casualties. Furthermore, after losing strongholds on the other side of the Shwe Myint Gan, Wa Bo, and Min Chaung bridges, the bases on Kaing Gyi Island are now also under attack, and the provisional government forces have continued to lose up to nine defensive positions and strongholds. Major General Zin Yaw, a CDM Major, stated that because the Arakan Army (AA) typically launches all-out offensives with a strategy of "devouring everything," the situation of the Major General-ranked division commander, who has to descend to the frontline and lead personally, is one that requires special observation. Photo: Social Media