Junta steps up airstrikes across Arakan State amid heavy ground losses, Arakan Army says

Commissioning ceremony of military fighter jets held at Meiktila Airbase on March 13, 2026. Photo: CINCDS

DMG Newsroom

5 August 2026, Mrauk-U

The military junta is intensifying airstrikes across Arakan State after suffering heavy casualties in ground battles along the border and inside the state, according to a statement issued by the Arakan Army on Wednesday.

The statement said the regime is continuing major offensives in areas bordering Arakan State, including Magway, Bago and Ayeyarwady regions, as well as southern Chin State.

"Unable to gain the upper hand and sustaining heavy casualties while attempting ground offensives into Arakan State, the junta is increasingly relying on its air power, which remains its main military advantage," the Arakan Army said.

On the night of August 4, shortly after 9 p.m., fighter jets and Y-12 aircraft dropped more than 30 bombs near the former Light Infantry Battalion No. 540 and former No. 31 Police Battalion in Mrauk-U.