Fierce clashes between Myanmar’s army and China-backed Arakan army, more than 100 casualties.
From Bhupen Goswami
Guwahati: Myanmar’s armed forces stepped up their operations against the Arakan army on Monday this week. The Arakan Army is the largest terrorist group in western Rakhine state. The Indo-Myanmar International Border Force, according to the army report, said that the three wings of Myanmar’s land, air and naval forces took coordinated action against the terrorist group. According to the report, fresh clashes broke out between Myanmar Army (Tamadav) and Arakan Army (AA) early on Monday in Rathdang Township of Rakhine State, in which both sides suffered heavy casualties. More than 100 casualties have been caused in fierce clashes between Myanmar’s army and the China-backed Arakan army. Who has been injured by whose side in the conflict is not yet known. The Myanmar army and the China-backed Arakan army did not say anything.
Eyewitnesses of Myanmar’s military operations said that air force jets had bombed the Arakan army posts in the mountain three times with the help of ground troops and naval forces. The clash between Myanmar’s military and terror group Arakan Army has been going on for more than a month. The residents who were disturbed by the attacks were forced to leave the conflict-hit area. Survivors in the area claimed that the air strike by Myanmar’s forces on Tuesday was the worst ever attack. According to him, the army used helicopters so far only to drop bombs on suspected Arakan army hideouts. However, during October 23 to 25, the two army were lashed with firing near Ongtharji between The Villages of Katakan and Hetesway. On the one hand, the Myanmar army said it had taken possession of the hill on October 24.
The Arakan army said that they captured the hill on October 25 from the back. Clashes took place near the villages of Kyaktan and Antherji in Rathdang Township and continued until Wednesday Oct. 28, residents reported. “The conflicts were fierce, perhaps far fiercer in Rathedang. On Monday, [the army] bombed with warplanes and there has been shelling every day,” U Khin Meng Meng, a lawmaker from rathdang’s upper house, told Irreverdi. According to residents, the two sides are fighting to regain control of a hill near Antherji between Kyakton and Hatswe villages. Myanmar’s military said today that the fighting took place as AA soldiers on the hill near HTWe were blocking the Ponnagun-Rathedang-Buthidang road and the Sitwe-Buthidang-Rathdang waterway. According to a report by a senior Indian Army official’s trusted source, the Indian Army’s intelligence report says that China has made another move against India.
Dragon has now become an enemy to the Indian project in Myanmar and is helping the local militant group ‘ The Arakan Army ‘ to get the weapons to cause damage. The ‘ Arakan Army ‘ has greatly influenced the work of the Kaladan multi-modal transport project being built in Myanmar, India on the strength of Chinese weapons. The Arakan army is getting these weapons from China through illegal transfer and smuggling. It may be recalled that in June of 2020 this year, when the main part of the Kaladan project was to be completed in Rakhine and the states where it was to be completed, the Arakan Army started its campaign in those areas.
The Arakan Army’s move has faced a lot of difficulty in completing the Kaladan project. On June 23, the Thailand army seized a consignment of weapons made in China near the Myanmar border. This includes AK-47 assault rifles, machine guns and anti-tank barudi tunnels, grenades and explosives. The weapons were worth about $10 million. These weapons were to be given to the Arakan Army and the Arakan Rohingya Army. Both of them are located in rakhine state. Let us say that the ‘ Arakan Army ‘ has been given the status of a terrorist organization by the Government of Myanmar and the two sides have clashed 600 times a year. Most of this skirmish has been held near the 48 million Kaladan project.
According to an official, there is a suspicion that China is instigating extremist groups. In fact, India’s Kaladan project is a response to the China-Myanmar economic corridor which is at the Kyaukpu port in Rakhine state. According to another Indian official, China wants to put hurdles in the way of India’s Kaladan project through the Arakan Army. The Indian Army official told the reporter that the supply of Chinese weapons to Myanmar’s Arakan army threatens the security of the important Kaladan project for North East India. China’s continued supply of weapons is reaching rebel groups in Myanmar, including the Arakan army that poses a threat to the Kaladan project and is setting up camps on the southern tip of Mizoram, recent intelligence sources said.
