The Arakan Army (AA) has officially confirmed the complete capture of the Maung Shwe Lay naval base in Thandwe township, Arakan State, marking a significant victory over Myanmar’s military junta. In a statement released on 6 September, the AA revealed that the base was seized on 5 September, with photographs showing the aftermath of the operation.

The AA’s offensive, which began on 7 August, targeted the Central Naval Diving and Salvage Depot, a key strategic stronghold for the junta and a crucial naval training camp. Despite heavy resistance, including step-by-step defense tactics supported by artillery and naval reinforcements, the AA fighters overran the base after nearly a month of intense fighting.

“Over 400 junta soldiers were killed during the offensive, and we’ve seized a large cache of military equipment, weapons, and ammunition,” the AA’s statement read. The base, situated between Maung Shwe Lay and Kwin Wine villages, was one of the last remaining footholds for the junta in the region.

More than 1,200 junta troops had been stationed at the naval depot, with reinforcements arriving from other locations after suffering defeats in nearby battles. The junta’s forces, bolstered by naval and artillery support, tried to hold the base, but ultimately couldn’t withstand the relentless assaults from AA fighters.

As the AA forces closed in, junta soldiers attempted to evacuate their wounded and dead using warships, transporting them to Sittwe and the Ayeyarwady region. In a grim display of the battlefield’s toll, AA fighters conducted burials for the fallen junta soldiers left behind.

The AA expressed deep gratitude to their fighters, hailing their courage and sacrifice in the fight for the liberation of Arakan State. “We honor the bravery of all our troops involved in these operations,” the statement continued.

As the junta continued to lose ground, their retaliation turned increasingly brutal. Artillery and airstrikes were launched against civilian areas—targeting villages and wards around Pauktaw town, an action that the AA condemned as crimes against humanity. On 6 September, multiple shells were fired from the Sittwe naval base, causing damage to civilian homes.

The statement concluded by emphasizing that the AA’s battle to liberate Maungdaw is still ongoing. "We will continue our fight until Arakan is free from the junta's oppression,” the AA declared.
 

BOB Post