The Arakan Army has captured nine settlements since November last year. Photo (file)
Minority tribal rebel group Arakan in Myanmar has seized an airport in its ongoing fight against military rule.
This airport named Thandwe is located in the southern part of Myanmar’s western Rakhine province. It is also known as Ma Jin Airport. It is 260 km away from the country’s largest city, Yangon.
Thandwe Airport is the first place to be captured by an insurgent group since the imposition of military rule in Myanmar. This airport serves the country’s most important seaside resorts.
Thandwe Airport is a coastal airport in Myanmar, providing air connectivity to Rakhine province with the rest of the country
Arakan Army can take control of coastal areas
Taking control of the airport opens the way for the Arakan Army, which already controls the northern part of the region, to capture the coastal areas of Rakhine province.
Residents of Rakhine province and local media have also confirmed the capture of the airport. Currently, all activities at this airport have been stopped after the Arakan group captured it.
In 2021, the army came to power by overthrowing the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. In many parts of the country, rebel groups are carrying out armed rebellion against the military rule. These rebellions include both supporters of the restoration of democracy and guerrilla groups.
Rakhine province is marked in red on the map. The Arakan Army has maintained its dominance over this area.
Arakan issued a statement saying that the bodies of 400 soldiers were recovered
The Arakan Army released a statement on the Telegram app on Sunday night saying that they have seized the bodies of more than 400 soldiers after the fighting in the area. Apart from this, the rebels have also found a large amount of ammunition. However, according to news agency AP, these claims of the Arakan Army have not been confirmed.
The Arakan Army is the military wing of Myanmar’s minority Buddhist Rakhine community. Its aim is to achieve autonomy for Rakhine province from the Myanmar government. The Arakan Army is also known as the Arakha Army.
Since November last year, the Arakan Army has captured 9 settlements. This includes a settlement in the neighboring Chin province.
Dead bodies of Myanmar army soldiers (picture is symbolic)
The army staged a coup 3 years ago
The army in Myanmar staged a coup on 1 February 2021. After this, many leaders including State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were arrested. More than a dozen cases have been registered against them since then. They have also been convicted in many of these cases.
She is currently serving a 27-year sentence in the capital Naypyitaw. After this, military leader General Min Aung Hlaing declared himself the Prime Minister of the country. The army declared a 2-year emergency in the country. However, it was later extended.
In April, the army had taken Aung San Suu Kyi out of jail and put her under house arrest because of the rising heat.
The army has killed 6,000 people since the coup in Myanmar
According to the report of the Peace Research Institute, since the coup in Myanmar in the year 2021, the army has killed 6,000 people. Myanmar is also constantly giving death penalty to opponents. According to the report of The Guardian, air strikes are becoming a daily story in Myanmar. The army is leaving no stone unturned to find its opponents. Due to this, it is targeting the common people.
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