Military Council forces suffer losses, cede some territorial footholds in offensive against AA

The Military Council forces, in an attempt to counter the Arakan Army (AA) within Rakhine State and its adjacent regions, are trying to launch a renewed offensive under the operation name 'Yan Naing Aung' using land, sea, and air power under the strategic command of the Western Military Command (Naw-Pa-Ka). However, they are suffering losses in battles and beginning to cede some military bases and territorial footholds, according to military sources. The military is reinforcing units such as Infantry Regiments (Kha La Ya) 1 and 11, along with Naw-Pa-Ka and Division 66, to front lines in Ye Kyi Township and Tharpawng Township in Ayeyarwady Region, along the foothills of the Rakhine Yoma mountain range, in an effort to launch a counter-offensive into southern Rakhine State. "Some outposts in Ye Kyi and a base at the border of Tharpawng have been recaptured by the AA. Battles are ongoing and have reached near the artillery units," a military source told the Ayeyarwady Times. Due to ambushes by the AA and allied local revolutionary forces, battles have been intensifying along the Ayeyarwady-Rakhine border, including the border of Ye Kyi and Tharpawng townships, since September 4. During these battles, the military side has suffered numerous casualties and deaths, as well as surrenders. Revolutionary forces have seized outposts and some important bases, according to sources. As the situation for the military forces deteriorated in the battles, leading to territorial losses, bombing and strafing attacks were carried out by jet fighter aircraft towards Min Hla village, Sar Pote Taung village, and towards Kha Maung Taw, near the border of Sittwe and Ponnagyun townships, on September 12, with aerial attacks also being conducted. The Military Council forces had prepared to launch a renewed offensive by establishing front-line outposts relying on the Shwe Myint Gan naval base, but they were forced to abandon some locations with heavy casualties during clashes between both sides, even resulting in the deaths of column commanders.