Kyaw Thiha — The Arakan Army (AA) released an additional 152 prisoners of war (POWs) and their family members on March 10, following their capture during the battle for Minbya in Rakhine State.
The group consisted of 44 men, 54 women, and 54 children.
The release was facilitated by the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government—the administrative arm of the ULA/AA.
Before being reunited with their families, the captives were processed in the presence of local officials and required to sign a formal pledge.
This marks the third batch of releases since the AA seized control of Minbya on February 6, 2024.
During that offensive, the AA captured a significant number of military personnel and their families, alongside a large cache of weapons and ammunition.
To date, the AA has released a total of 547 individuals from the Minbya operations through three separate events:
AA released 170 people on April 13, 2025, on the eve of Thingyan, and 225 people were released on May 16, 2025, in the second wave. During this time, AA released 152 people in the latest group on March 10, 2026.
