Arakan Army establishes full control over the Myanmar-Bangladesh border
A military analyst observing the conflict in Rakhine told *The Irrawaddy* that resuming trade with Bangladesh could alleviate the hardships faced by residents of the western state.
The Arakan Army (AA) has taken full control of Myanmar's 270-kilometer border with Bangladesh after seizing Maungdaw Township on Sunday.
The AA announced that it had captured the Myanmar junta’s final border stronghold, Border Guard Police Battalion No. 5, located near Maungdaw town, following months of intense fighting. On Sunday, the AA reported attacking retreating regime forces and allied Rohingya militias, including the Arakan Rohingya Army (ARA), Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), and Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO), as they fled the base.
Rakhine media reported on Monday that the AA had captured Brigadier General Thurein Tun, commander of Military Operation Command 15, along with regime troops and around 80 Rohingya insurgents during the battle for Maungdaw.
The Maungdaw offensive began in late May, culminating in the AA’s complete control of the township after six months of conflict. The AA now asserts dominance over all three Myanmar townships bordering Bangladesh: Maungdaw and Buthidaung in Rakhine State and Paletwa in Chin State, which also borders India.
A military analyst observing the situation in Rakhine told The Irrawaddy that reopening trade with Bangladesh could alleviate the hardships faced by the population in the western state, where two million people are facing a looming famine, as reported by the UN last month. The military junta’s blockade of roads and waterways has disrupted the supply of essential goods, including food, fuel, medicine, and international humanitarian aid.
The analyst also stressed the need for the Bangladeshi government to engage in meaningful dialogue with the AA to address the complex Rohingya crisis in Rakhine State.
The AA is currently fighting for control of Gwa, Taungup, and Ann townships in southern Rakhine. A member of the Ethnic Brotherhood Alliance, the AA has already seized most of northern Shan State, including the capital Lashio, since the launch of Operation 1027 in October last year. The group expanded its campaign to Rakhine State in November 2022, capturing approximately 13 of Rakhine’s 17 townships and Paletwa Township in Chin State.
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