Airstrikes Hit Ponnagyun and Mrauk-U After AA Seizes At Least Three Military Bases

Narinjara, September 17, 2026

Reports indicate that the Myanmar military conducted waves of airstrikes using jet fighters on Ponnagyun and Mrauk-U townships on September 17, following the Arakan Army's (AA) capture of at least three military bases.

Among the captured positions is a strategic post at the end of Min Chaung Bridge near Sittwe Township, Arakkha State.

"Junta planes arrived very early in the morning to drop bombs on our township from the air. They also carried out a bombing run during the night prior. It is not yet known if there were any casualties," said a local resident of Ponnagyun Township.

Civil aviation alerts indicate that the aircraft took off from the Tada-U Air Force Base in Mandalay.

"Intense fighting is currently underway between the AA and the military. It is understood that the airstrikes targeted the border areas between Sittwe and Ponnagyun townships. The AA attacked and drove out the soldiers stationed at the northern part of Min Chaung Bridge. There are also reports that the AA has captured two bases in the War Bo area," the resident added.

Similarly, military aircraft reportedly conducted a coordinated aerial bombing raid in the ancient city of Mrauk-U, targeting the 540th and 377th Battalion bases—former junta positions now controlled by the AA.

Local residents stated that the bombing, carried out by four jet fighters, began around noon on September 17 and lasted for approximately 45 minutes.

"Four bombs were dropped on the former Battalion 540 base and one on Battalion 377. The jet fighters also circled the area and fired rockets," a local resident told Narinjara.

Military sources in the region report that fierce fighting is underway in the border areas between Ponnagyun Township and Sittwe Township, the capital of Rakhine State, as the Myanmar military continues to lose control of several outposts.

Beginning in the early hours of September 4, the Myanmar military launched an intense offensive against the southern part of Ponnagyun Township, an area controlled by the AA. The junta attacked from five different locations using a combined force of approximately 1,000 troops from the army, navy, and air force.

However, military sources close to the AA state that the junta forces are suffering heavy casualties and retreating under the AA's counter-offensive. The situation has shifted to the point where the AA is now launching its own offensive toward Sittwe.

Military analysts predict that the fighting between the two sides is likely to intensify further.

Photo Caption:Arakan Army (AA) forces destroyed a junta military tank near Amyint Kyun village, located along the strategic border between Sittwe and Ponnagyun townships in 2024.