Arakan Army (AA) ambushed a Military Council squad near the Taungup-Thandwe highway in Rakhine State on November 1and regime forces suffered casualties during the shootout that lasted for a few minutes.
A reliable source said that AA launched an ambush attack on a 20-strong Military Council squad which was stationed near Thetkepyin Village, at around 8:30 AM on November 1, and the exchange of fire between the two sides lasted for about 10 minutes.
"AA attacked first and the Military Council responded with some artillery firings. I heard that about 10 regime soldiers died. I think that AA conducted the ambush attack as a retaliation because the Military Council recently arrested people related to ULA/AA in Rakhine. In the battle, the AA side fired an artillery and took the first hand. I noticed there were about 26 soldiers when I saw the Military Council squad marching on foot earlier”, the source claimed.
Taungup-based Military Council troops fired some artillery rounds minutes after AA's successful ambush, and some reinforcements in military vehicles also arrived. Narinjara cannot independently confirm that Military Council soldiers were killed in this incident.
The Military Council summoned the residents of nearby villages and warned them after the battle, the source said.
The Military Council troops attacked a temporary AA camp in Taungup on August 25, but the AA's fierce resistance pushed them to retreat with many casualties.
Currently, tensions between AA and the Military Council are rising across Rakhine State, and fighting is also taking place around Taungup Township.
