[Tee tiong huat]

Arakan Army has started an offensive in Rakhine State’s Ann township where Myanmar’s regime Western Military Command is located. Ann links Rakhine State with Magwe Region, where the Sittwe-Yangon and Minbu-Ann roads meet.

Clashes continued outside Ann town on Wednesday. Personnel and families from Light Infantry Battalion 372 and a logistic base retreated to the Western Command headquarters in Ann town, the Narinjara media group reported, citing residents.

A military analyst told The Irrawaddy: “The junta’s command system for the whole of Rakhine State would be ruined if Ann falls. It is the main entrance to Rakhine, exposing southern Rakhine State.” As
junta has abandoned Ma-ei town near Ann on the Ann-Taungup Road in Taungup Township by blowing up the major bridge on Ann-Taungup Road and another major bridge on Ma-ei- Kyaukphyu Road in the area. 

The AA has seized Myebon Township next to Ann, encircling the junta hub. AA said its troops clashed with the troops of the junta’s Light Infantry Battalion 563 in a mountainous area in Myebon Township on Thursday morning.

The AA said it killed eight members of around 50 regime troops in Buthidaung Township, northern Rakhine State, on Monday. It seized the junta’s Taung Bazar base in Buthidaung on Monday.

AA has occupied about 170 junta positions, including several battalion headquarters, across Rakhine State and Paletwa Township in southern Chin State, since once, it has seized all of Paletwa Township, six of Rakhine State’s 17 townships and three other towns.
https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/war-again...-base.html