AA Captures Senior Military Officer and Dozens of Troops During Clashes in Kyaukphyu Township
In ongoing clashes in Kyaukphyu Township, the Arakan Army (AA) reportedly captured a high-ranking officer and a large number of junta troops, according to sources close to the AA.
The captured officer has been identified as Lieutenant Colonel Kyaw Lin Kyine (ID No. 37532), a senior commander from the Regional Operations Command (First Grade), under the Light Infantry Division.
The arrest took place during a battle on May 30 near Min Tet Taung village in Kyaukphyu Township. According to a military source, fighting broke out when junta forces launched an offensive against the AA, which responded and managed to capture Lt. Col. Kyaw Lin Kyine along with many soldiers and military equipment.
An eyewitness source familiar with the AA told Nirinjara News Agency that:
“The junta troops, operating recklessly and in fear of the AA, launched an assault near Min Tet Taung. During the clash, the AA successfully captured Lt. Col. Kyaw Lin Kyine and a number of soldiers along with weapons and ammunition.”
The source also said that clashes are occurring almost daily in the township due to repeated junta offensives, and the junta is suffering heavy losses in most engagements.
On the same day, around 3 PM, another battle occurred about 600 meters north of Min Tet Taung, near the vocational training school used as a junta base. This battle also resulted in further captures of soldiers and military gear by the AA.
Previously, on May 27, during fighting in Kyaukphyu, the AA’s sniper team reportedly killed Colonel Kyaw Myo Aung, the commander of Military Operations Command (MOC) 11, along with a junior officer. The body of Colonel Kyaw Myo Aung was airlifted from Kyaukphyu to Yangon by a special aircraft.
While his body was recovered, over 30 soldiers and one tactical commander remain in AA custody with some arms and ammunition, the source confirmed.
A political analyst monitoring the region told Nirinjara News:
“The junta’s top commanders are forcing frontline troops into battle, but morale among the rank-and-file is deteriorating. Many soldiers are surrendering to the AA, some armed, some unarmed, raising white flags in recent days.”
The AA’s open policy of accepting defectors who surrender with or without weapons has led to a steady stream of surrenders. Those surrendering are reportedly treated well, granted rewards, and efforts are made to reunite them with their families.
One surrendered soldier told the source:
“We advise our comrades to surrender. Those who raise a white flag and surrender early will survive and meet their families sooner. Don’t die in vain.”
The AA has been publicizing this surrender policy and reportedly offers compensation and support to surrendering soldiers and their families.
One Colonel Killed, Over 30 Troops Including a Lieutenant Colonel Captured by AA
A Myanmar Army Colonel has been killed, and more than 30 junta troops — including a Lieutenant Colonel — have been captured as prisoners of war by the Arakan Army (AA), according to reports from the conflict zone.
Heavy Clashes Continue in Kyaukphyu Township Amid Chinese Investment Projects
Fierce clashes continue in Kyaukphyu Township, where several Chinese-backed investment projects are located. In the third week of May, significant casualties were reported, including the death of a colonel from Light Infantry Division (LID) 11 and the capture of a lieutenant colonel along with numerous junta troops by the Arakan Army (AA).
On May 27, during the AA’s seizure of the No. 32 Police Battalion outpost at Sone Nhan Phay Taung in Kyaukphyu, Colonel Kyaw Myo Aung, commander of the LID 11’s rapid deployment unit, was reportedly killed alongside several junta troops. Sources say he was shot dead by an AA sniper.
Additionally, on May 30, during a clash near Min Tet Taung village in Kyaukphyu Township, AA forces captured Lieutenant Colonel Kyaw Linn Kyine and over 30 junta soldiers, according to local sources familiar with the battlefield situation.
