Junta deploys 2,000 troops in major offensive against AA-held territory: ISP-Myanmar

DMG Newsroom

6 October 2026, Yangon

Myanmar’s military has deployed around 2,000 troops in a major multi-front offensive aimed at retaking territory controlled by the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA), but has so far failed to regain territory despite weeks of intense fighting, according to ISP-Myanmar.

The military has been conducting coordinated ground, naval and air operations since early September across several fronts in Arakan State and adjoining parts of Magway, Bago and Ayeyarwady regions, ISP-Myanmar said in an On Point analysis released on October 5.

Fighting has intensified since September 4 in Kyaukphru, Sittwe and Ponnagyun townships, as well as areas of Magway, Bago and Ayeyarwady regions. The military has not officially announced the offensive, although pro-junta sources have referred to it as the “4926 Operation” or “Yan Naing Aung Operation.”

Despite the scale of the offensive, ISP said the ULA/AA had not lost territory as of the report’s assessment.

ISP said the military had prepared for the offensive since late 2025, reinforcing troops and naval forces while stepping up artillery and air attacks. At least 10 naval vessels have also reportedly been positioned near Sittwe, Ramree, Thandwe and Gwa townships.

The offensive intensified on September 4 with seven military columns operating from the Sittwe-Ponnagyun and Kyaukphru fronts and from adjoining areas of Ayeyarwady, Bago and Magway regions. Naval artillery and airstrikes have supported the ground operations, while the AA has mounted defensive and counteroffensive operations. Both sides have also made extensive use of FPV drones.

ISP described the conflict in Arakan as increasingly taking the form of a “total war,” rather than the lower-intensity guerrilla warfare seen in some other parts of Myanmar. The research group said the Arakan front is important to the military both strategically and in terms of prestige, prompting the deployment of substantial forces to try to recover AA-held territory.

The intensified fighting has also taken a growing toll on civilians. ISP recorded at least 982 military airstrikes in Arakan since the 2021 coup, killing at least 661 civilians. Schools, hospitals, religious buildings and displacement camps have been among the locations hit, according to the report.

The September 28 airstrike near India Market and the Kissapanadi Bridge in Kyauktaw killed at least 50 civilians, making it the deadliest single airstrike for civilians in Arakan during the period documented by ISP.

Since the current offensive began on September 4, at least 70 civilians have been killed in air and artillery attacks, while more than 6,000 people from around 24 villages in Kyaukphru, Sittwe, Ponnagyun and Rathedaung townships have been displaced, ISP said.

ISP assessed that the offensive could lead to further civilian casualties and displacement while forcing the AA and allied forces to focus more heavily on defending territory already under their control.

The research group also said the military may face difficulties deploying enough additional forces to significantly alter territorial control in Arakan because substantial numbers of troops are simultaneously committed to other major fronts elsewhere in Myanmar.