The Arakan Army (AA) has seized control of Maungdaw, a key town on Myanmar's border with Bangladesh, solidifying its dominance over the entire 270-kilometre frontier, Myanmar-based news outlet The Irrawaddy reports.
According to the report, the rebel group captured Maungdaw on Sunday, following months of clashes.
The final stronghold—a Border Guard Police Battalion No. 5 located outside the town—fell after prolonged fighting. The AA declared its victory over the junta’s last remaining border outpost.
In a statement on Sunday, the Arakan Army revealed it had targeted government forces and allied Rohingya militia groups, including the Arakan Rohingya Army (ARA), the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), and the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO), during their retreat.
The conflict has led to significant arrests. Rakhine-based media reported on Monday that the Arakan Army apprehended approximately 80 Rohingya militants, government troops, and Brigadier General Thurein Tun, the commander of Military Operation Command 15.
The offensive on Maungdaw began in late May, and it took the Arakan Army only six months to secure full control of the border town. The group now claims authority over three towns in Myanmar’s border region: Maungdaw and Buthidaung in Rakhine State and Paletwa in Chin State, the latter also sharing a frontier with India.
A military analyst monitoring the Rakhine conflict remarked that restoring trade relations with Bangladesh could alleviate hardships for residents of this western province. The United Nations recently reported that over two million people in Rakhine face famine-like conditions, exacerbated by the junta's blockade of roads, waterways, and humanitarian aid, including food, fuel, and medicine.
The analyst emphasised that if Bangladesh seeks to resolve the complex Rohingya crisis, meaningful dialogue with the Arakan Army, now a dominant ethnic force in Rakhine, is imperative.
Meanwhile, the Arakan Army continues its campaign for control over other towns in southern Rakhine, including Gwa, Taungup, and Ann. The group has already seized more than 30 junta bases in Ann, with only the Western Military Command headquarters left to capture.
This development signals a pivotal shift in the power dynamics of Myanmar’s Rakhine State, raising geopolitical and humanitarian concerns for the region.
