Southwestern Military Command Faces Shortage of Reserve Forces, Pushing New Recruits and Local People's Militia to the Front Lines

Due to heavy losses on the front lines in areas facing the Arakan Army (AA), reserve forces have dwindled, forcing the military to push new recruits and local people's militia (Pyu Saw Htee) to the front lines, according to military sources. The military is intensifying its troop build-up in Ayeyarwaddy Region to prevent the AA's expansion into the region and to block entry points to southern Rakhine State. "The shortage of reserve troops is not limited to Ayeyarwaddy Region alone. Many military bases are facing this situation. As they are deploying forces in large numbers for military operations, they are also using Pyu Saw Htee," a source told Ayeyarwaddy Times. According to the current troop movements and deployments of the military, between 600 and 800 troops are being used to blockade areas in the townships of Thongwa and Ye Kyi alone. In the areas under the jurisdiction of the Southwestern Military Command (Nat Kha) based in Pathein, the situation has reached a point where there are no reserve forces left. In recent days, the military commander himself has equipped local militia from villages in the Shwethaungyan area with full military uniforms and weapons. Even before this distribution of weapons, local militia were given short-term training, referred to as basic military training, in the Kwin Kaok region and then sent to the front lines in Thongwa and Thephyu. Currently, the military is primarily pushing inexperienced new recruits and short-term trained local militia to the front lines as a shield in ongoing battles. As the AA is able to penetrate into Ayeyarwaddy Region from southern Rakhine State, the military is desperately trying to block the border entry points such as Thongwa, Ye Kyi, and Shwethaungyan. On May 29, when a convoy of military vehicles carrying missiles and related ammunition was ambushed on the Minbu-Ann road, the military was unable to send immediate reinforcements. Only two military vehicles from the 905th Artillery Operations Command (Ma Sa Kha 905) based in Padan Township were able to depart after the ambush had ended, according to sources. Military analysts say that the inability to provide timely reinforcements, even for a critical supply convoy like the missile transport, and the dispatch of only two military vehicles, clearly indicates the depletion of forces at the military's rear headquarters.