The Arakan Army (AA) repulsed a major military junta offensive in the Ayeyarwady Region, seizing weapons, ammunition, and military equipment as regime forces retreated following intense clashes across five locations in Yekyi and Thabaung townships on August 12.

In an official statement released on August 13 accompanied by photographic evidence, the AA reported that junta troops suffered heavy casualties during the engagements.

The conflict erupted when junta forces launched a coordinated multi-column assault on AA positions near Point 101 in Yekyi Township and near Thabaung Kalay Village in Thabaung Township.

The attacking forces comprised elements of the 1st, 11th, and 101st Light Infantry Battalions under the Myanmar military's 66th Light Infantry Division.

Heavy ground fighting was reported near Thabaung Kalay Village, where AA forces engaged advancing junta troops for three hours. 

Despite the military deploying fighter jets, Y-12 transport aircraft, attack drones, and heavy artillery, AA soldiers held their ground and launched a counteroffensive that forced regime troops to retreat.

Simultaneous clashes occurred near Point 101 Hill, lasting several hours as junta forces launched multiple waves of attacks against established AA positions.

Following the retreat of junta forces, AA troops conducted clearing operations across the five battle sites, recovering military hardware, ammunition, and the bodies of fallen regime soldiers.

The fighting marks a notable expansion of hostilities into the Ayeyarwady Region—a key delta territory south of Rakhine State—where the Arakan Army has increasingly clashed with regime forces. 

The AA leadership praised its frontline troops for their resilience in repelling the heavy aerial and ground assault.