Rakhine offensive (2023–present)
Military operation in Myanmar / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On 13 November 2023, the Arakan Army (AA), one of the dozens of ethnic resistance groups active in the civil war in Myanmar, launched a military offensive against Myanmar's military junta in Rakhine and southern Chin State. Fighting began concurrently with the launch of Operation 1027, which the Arakan Army, as a member of the Three Brotherhood Alliance, also participated in. The offensive broke an informal ceasefire between the Arakan Army and the junta that had been in place for a year. During the offensive, the Arakan Army would capture several towns in northern Rakhine including Mrauk U, the capital of Mrauk-U District and the historical capital of Arakan. They would then focus on attacking Sittwe, the state capital, and Ann, the headquarters of the junta's western command. International Institute for Strategic Studies reported AA’s sweeping gains "are already enough to enable self-rule over a large portion of the Rakhine homeland and to reshape the wider balance of power in Myanmar."[8]
Rakhine Offensive | |||||||||
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Part of Myanmar civil war (2021–present) | |||||||||
Map of gains as of 22 May 2024 made by the Arakan Army since 2023 | |||||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||||
Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army[1][2] | People's Independence Army[3] | ||||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Units involved | |||||||||
Disputed | Arakan Army | ||||||||
Strength | |||||||||
Unknown |
38,000+ (self-claimed February 2024) 15,000+ (estimated February 2024) | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||||