On March 17, the Arakan Army (AA) officially announced their defeat of all three Junta battalions stationed in Rathedaung Township, Rakhine State. The statement also revealed that around two hundred Junta soldiers managed to flee using military vessels.

“On March 17, 2024, at around 4:00 PM, AA defeated all three battalions stationed in Rathedaung Township, Rakhine State, namely the 536th Light Infantry Battalion, 537th Light Infantry Battalion, and 538th Light Infantry Battalion, despite facing fierce resistance from the Junta’s Army, Navy, and Air Force, the statement said.

The statement further indicated that all three battalions were successfully captured, following approximately two weeks of relentless offensive operations and revealed that approximately 200 Junta soldiers from these battalions managed to escape via military vessels.

AA also highlighted the grim discovery of bodies belonging to Muslims who had been compelled to undergo military training by the Junta, alongside the bodies of the Junta soldiers. The confiscation of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment also took place..

AA declared that their aim is to now attack the 552nd Light Infantry Battalion, which operates under the 15th Military Operations Command (MOC-15) in Buthidaung Township.

The terrorist Junta, facing setbacks in Rakhine and losing control of one township after another, continues in targeting civilians through assaults on schools, hospitals, religious structures, roads, and bridges, perpetrating war crimes on a daily basis.