The Arakan Army (AA), a powerful ethnic armed group in Myanmar, has claimed complete control of the 271-kilometer border with Bangladesh, following the capture of the last remaining military outpost in Maungdaw, a strategic town in Rakhine state, CNN reports.
This significant advance marks a major escalation in the ongoing civil war and raises serious concerns about the safety of the Rohingya Muslim minority.
AA spokesperson Khaing Thukha announced the seizure of the Maungdaw outpost on Sunday, stating that Brigadier-General Thurein Tun was captured while attempting to flee. Independent verification remains difficult due to limited internet and mobile phone access in the area. Myanmar’s military government has yet to comment publicly.
The capture of Maungdaw, following earlier AA victories in Paletwa and Buthidaung, consolidates the group’s control over northern Rakhine state. Since November 2023, the AA has seized control of 11 out of 17 townships in Rakhine, as well as one in neighboring Chin state. The strategically important military headquarters in Ann, Rakhine, also appears to be on the brink of falling to the AA. The group claims to have captured over 30 military outposts in recent months, excluding the western command headquarters.
The intensified conflict in Rakhine has fueled fears of a resurgence of violence against the Rohingya community, reminiscent of the 2017 crisis that forced over 740,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh. While the AA, representing the majority Buddhist Rakhine population, denies allegations of targeting Rohingya civilians, numerous eyewitness accounts reported to the Associated Press and other media outlets contradict this claim. The AA’s actions in Buthidaung in May, where an estimated 200,000 residents, primarily Rohingya, were allegedly forced to flee and their homes burned, and subsequent attacks in August, have further fueled these concerns.
The AA’s control of the border has also led to the suspension of transport across the Naf River, reportedly due to concerns about police and pro-military Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh. The group is also a member of an ethnic armed alliance that launched an offensive in northeastern Myanmar last October, securing strategic territory along the China border.
