Junta forces attempting to advance toward areas near Sane Town in Kyaukphyu Township, Arakan (Rakhine) State reportedly suffered heavy casualties in attacks by the Arakan Army (AA), forcing them to retreat toward the Taungmawgyi Naval Station.
Since May 10, the junta launched a coordinated offensive using two ground columns supported by naval assets, pushing toward areas near Sane Town—territory under AA control. Although the advance initially achieved limited positioning in some areas, the momentum reportedly shifted as the AA mounted sustained counterattacks, gradually forcing it to pull back.
“The AA is moving forward gradually. Junta troops are still holding the hill area near Awataung Village, but the AA is responding with very strong counterattacks,” said a Kyaukphyu resident.
By May 15, the AA had surrounded a junta hilltop position near Awataung Village and placed it under siege, while also blocking reinforcement attempts aimed at breaking through to the position.
Awataung Village itself lies between Sane Town and the Taungmawgyi Naval Station, located roughly two miles in a straight line from the naval base, making it a strategically sensitive corridor in the ongoing fighting.
At present, junta forces have been pushed back to positions just over a mile from the naval station, while the AA continues to apply pressure with sustained artillery strikes against the area.
“Since capturing Ramree Township, the AA has been able to operate much closer to the naval station. The recent fighting started after the junta sent in large forces toward Sane. If this continues, the AA may not only repel the offensive but could eventually target the naval base itself,” another Kyaukphyu resident told DMG.
Clashes between the two sides have been ongoing within a roughly 10-mile radius north of Sane Town since February 2024, with the junta now attempting to push forward using the Taungmawgyi Naval Station as an operational command hub.
Sane Town is located more than 30 miles south of the township capital, Kyaukphyu. Analysts suggested that if the junta manages to secure Sane and nearby areas, it could significantly complicate AA operations aimed toward advancing on Kyaukphyu.
“Even though the AA has already reached closer to the garrison battalion in Kyaukphyu, the Taungmawgyi Naval Station continues to pose a serious threat. If the junta coordinates its naval and ground forces and succeeds in taking Sane, AA fighters could face encirclement. The naval base remains a key strategic pressure point,” A military observer in Arakan State explained.
The Taungmawgyi Naval Station operates under the command of the Danyawadi Naval Base, hosting several hundred junta troops deployed along the Thanzit River.
Kyaukphyu Township is also home to major Chinese-backed infrastructure projects, which some analysts believe have limited the scale and intensity of AA operations in the region.
Fighting around Sane Town has now continued for around 10 days, with reports of civilian casualties resulting from junta airstrikes and naval artillery shelling.
More than 10 villages near the warzone have been displaced as a result of the escalating violence.
In one of the most severe recent incidents, at least 100 homes were engulfed in flames when junta airstrikes struck Sane’s Shwehinthar Ward on May 19.
