Arakan Army Warns of Retaliatory Airstrikes After Heavy Junta Losses in Rakhine State

Residents of Myanmar's Rakhine State are being urged to exercise extreme caution against potential airstrikes following intense clashes along the Taungup–Padaung road that resulted in heavy military junta casualties.

The Arakan Army (AA) intercepted and routed a military column of more than 100 junta troops advancing toward Nyaung Kyo on Saturday evening, according to a military source close to the AA.

At least 20 junta soldiers were killed in the fighting between Nyaung Kyo and Laylar Taung in Pandaung Township. AA fighters recovered bodies, weapons, and ammunition, while surviving junta forces retreated toward Laylar Taung.

The source warned that the military regime is highly likely to launch persistent retaliatory aerial bombardments following its severe battlefield losses. Townships near the conflict zone—specifically Taungup, Thandwe, and Gwa—face a heightened risk of airstrikes.

“The military junta's strategy is simple: if they cannot win on the battlefield, they resort to bombing civilians,” the source said. “Following the collapse of their column at Nyaung Kyo, attacks on civilian villages in Rakhine are inevitable. Everyone must remain highly vigilant.”

Fighting continued Sunday morning after the military launched a renewed offensive backed by jet fighters.

The Taungup–Padaung road area remains a volatile flashpoint, particularly near Nyaung Kyo, Laylar Taung, Defense Industry Factory No. 16 (KaPaSa 16), and the Point 666 outpost.

The region has experienced sustained conflict for months. In September, AA forces killed a junta major during clashes in the Nyaung Kyo Yoe area of the western Bago Region.

The resistance group also recently captured a vital logistics base used by advancing military columns.

The threat of aerial attacks remains immediate. On October 25, the eve of the Thadingyut festival, the junta deployed two jet fighters to bomb civilian wards and a commercial ice factory in Thandwe.