Myanmar Junta Troops Trapped as Fighting Continues on Ngapyi Island Near Sittwe
Remnants of a junta amphibious assault force remain trapped on Ngapyi Island in Werathani Township following two days of fierce clashes with the Arakan Army (AA), military sources and local observers reported Friday.
The regime launched special commando units aboard naval vessels from the nearby Shwe Min Gan Naval Base in Sittwe in an attempt to capture the strategically located island. However, AA forces repelled the landing, shelling naval craft and ambushing troops who managed to get ashore.
AA spokesperson U Khaing Thukha said several naval vessels caught fire during the engagement, resulting in heavy junta casualties and forced surrenders. In response, the military regime has deployed heavy artillery and continuous nighttime airstrikes to support its stranded forces.
Military analysts view the battle for Ngapyi Island, located between junta-held Sittwe and AA-controlled territory, as an AA strategy to lure regime forces out of their Sittwe strongholds. While junta troops remain pinned down on the island, the AA has simultaneously opened new offensive fronts near the Regional Operations Command and surrounding villages in Sittwe Township.
The failed amphibious landing follows the regime's broader "Operation 4926" offensive launched on September 4, which aimed to reclaim lost ground in northern Arakan State but suffered heavy casualties in neighboring Ponnagyun Township.
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