Two Junta Battalion Commanders Killed in Heavy Clashes on Magway–Rakhine Border

Two junta battalion commanders and dozens of regime personnel were reportedly killed during intense battles with the Arakan Army (AA) along the border between Magway Region and Rakhine State, local resistance sources report.

The clashes erupted as Myanmar junta forces launched a major ground offensive to push through Mindon Township into AA-controlled Ann Township in Rakhine State.

Since August, the regime has deployed nearly 1,000 troops, establishing heavy artillery positions in Thahpanyaung, Wetkaw, and Pyaung villages, as well as surrounding strategic outpost Point 948 Hill.

During the offensive, Lieutenant Colonel Tin Myo Htut and Lieutenant Colonel Myat Thin Kyaw—both battalion commanders under the Magway-based Light Infantry Division 55 (LID 55)—were reportedly killed in action. While local outlets have reported their deaths, NMG has not independently verified the casualties.

"Fighting along the Thahpanyaung–Talaingtaung mountain corridor has been intense over the past few days," a Magway-based resistance source said. "The junta has suffered heavy casualties, including high-ranking command officers."

Heavy engagements broke out near Kangyi Village and Point 948 Hill on September 20 and 21, extending through September 23.

On September 22, the Arakan Army released photographs displaying captured military hardware and bodies of fallen junta soldiers.

In response to ground losses, the regime blocked the Thahpanyaung–Talaingtaung Road—a crucial commercial arterial route connecting Rakhine State with central Myanmar—and launched retaliatory airstrikes using jet fighters across suspected AA positions.

The escalation has forced widespread civilian displacement across border communities.

“Villages along the border have been unsafe for years, but right now, entire populations from Thahpanyaung, Wetkaw, and Pyaung have fled into the surrounding mountains,” a local woman told NMG.

Fierce fighting continues as junta ground columns advance under active air cover, stranding displaced residents and severing vital regional supply lines.