11 soldiers and police officers deserted with arms in Sittwe

After the Arakan Army (AA) launched attacks on checkpoints and military installations near Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine state, it has been reported that 11 soldiers and police officers abandoned their posts with their weapons.

On the night of January 6, a source familiar with military matters informed Narinjara that seven soldiers and four police officers from the 36th Police Battalion in Sittwe had escaped along with several weapons.

Six out of the seven soldiers were armed with weapons. One other soldier and four police officers did not accompany them with arms.

He stated that the soldiers and police who fled had already traveled a few miles beyond Sittwe, suggesting they may have joined the Arakan Army.

A resident of Sittwe reported that members of the military junta conducted searches in local neighborhoods and monasteries to find soldiers and police officers who had deserted.

Last night, they searched nearly every area. They were informed by the local office that their soldiers had deserted, which was the reason for the search.

Furthermore, on January 4, residents of Sittwe reported that two soldiers from the 36th Police Battalion abandoned their posts with weapons, leading to another search operation.

In Sittwe, the Regional Command Headquarters (RCH) is situated alongside the 20th, 232nd, 270th, 344th, and 354th Battalions, in addition to the 12th and 36th Police Battalions. Nearly all battalions are concerned about the AA’s offensive.

As a result of these concerns, there have been accounts of individuals leaving other military units, including 9 soldiers from the 36th Police Battalion and 4 police officers who chose not to engage in combat. The Narinjara News Agency has been unable to verify this information independently.

As per data gathered by Pyithu Pandai, a non-governmental organization, a total of 2,491 prisoners of war joined the revolutionary forces and surrendered between January 2025 and the third week of December 2025.

Since early January, the Arakan Army (AA) has been launching assaults on the camps close to Tawkan and Gangaw Kyun, which serve as the main access points to the military regional headquarters (Dakhasa) located in Sittwe Township. Local residents have reported that heavy combat is occurring in the area.