Heavy artillery exchanges intensify along Sittwe-Werathani border
DMG Newsroom
10 September 2026, Werathani
Heavy artillery exchanges between the military junta and the Arakan Army continue to intensify along the Sittwe-Werathani border in Arakan State, according to local residents.
Crossfire involving heavy weaponry has persisted along the Sittwe-Werathani border since September 4, when fighting broke out in neighbouring areas between Sittwe and Ponnagyun townships.
"We hear hundreds of artillery detonations daily. Shells are mainly landing near villages in Werathani Township, while junta forces are also firing from Sittwe toward Ponnagyun. On September 4 and 5 alone, there were easily over 100 artillery rounds fired from military junta battalions in Sittwe and junta warships," said a local resident from Hsintetmaw Village in Werathani Township.
Heavy artillery rounds fired from Sittwe landed on Myayngu Island, though details regarding casualties remain unconfirmed.
Fearing military junta artillery strikes and air attacks, residents from several villages in Werathani Township near Sittwe, including Hsintetmaw, Hsinai, Thaekhon, Tawtan, Gyinchaung, and Kyeinnipyin, have fled to safer areas.
Residents of Myayngu Island and Alel Phayonekar Island, who rely primarily on fishing for their livelihoods, face severe economic hardship as continuous shelling from military junta warships prevents them from going out to sea.
"Junta warships are shelling Werathani Township daily. Because of these naval bombardments, we cannot go out fishing. Since our livelihoods depend almost entirely on maritime fishing, local residents are struggling to survive," a local man stated.
Clashes between the military junta and the Arakan Army have intensified in Sittwe Township since September 4, marked by daily exchanges of heavy artillery fire.
Although the Arakan Army has maintained a blockade around Sittwe for a prolonged period, intense frontline engagements had previously been limited.
The current escalation follows a military junta offensive aimed at establishing a foothold in Ponnagyun Township, driving heavy combat across the area.
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