Myanmar Military Launches Three Hour Airstrike on AA-Controlled Ann

Narinjara, May 26, 2026

Myanmar military jets conducted a continuous, three hour aerial bombardment of the Arakan Army (AA)-controlled town of Ann in Rakhine State on Tuesday, following a failed junta offensive nearby.

The sustained airstrike, targeting the area around the former Western Command headquarters, appears to be retaliation for high casualties inflicted on junta forces by the AA earlier in the week.

According to a local resident who spoke with Narinjara, junta fighter jets bombarded the town continuously from approximately 3:30 PM until 6:30 PM today.

"The bombing of Ann started at 3:30 PM and has not stopped yet. There are no immediate reports of casualties or injuries," the resident stated during the attack, adding that several bombs struck the old town sector of Ann while residents sheltered in place.

Narinjara is currently investigating the extent of civilian casualties.

The conflict in Ann Township intensified after the Arakan Army (AA) captured the town and its strategic Western Command headquarters on December 20, 2024. Since losing this critical hub, the Myanmar military junta has subjected the town and surrounding villages to relentless airstrikes.

Months later, on March 8, the military launched a devastating, prolonged aerial assault. Beginning around 11:00 AM, eight junta aircraft bombed an AA-run prisoner of war (POW) camp in the Da Lat Chaung creek area for three hours.

The strike killed 116 prisoners of war and wounded 32 others. Among the casualties were former military medical officers who had defected to join the AA before the conflict escalated. The attack killed surgical nurse Captain Phyo Thu Rein Aye and radiologist Captain Aung Aung Set, while seriously injuring bone, joint, and muscle rehabilitation specialist Captain Han Win Swe.

The violence escalated further following a recent military offensive to reinforce the Nat Ye Kan Air Base near Padan in Ngaphe Township, Magway Division, an area adjacent to Ann Township.

AA forces intercepted the military column, inflicting heavy casualties on the junta troops.

In response, local sources noted the military conducted reconnaissance flights over Ann between 12:00 PM and 3:30 PM on May 8.

Military observers suggest these flights foreshadowed today's heavy bombardment, framing the latest wave of strikes as a direct act of retaliation for the junta's losses.