Today the Arakan Army launched a successful assault on Tatmadaw (Burmese military) positions in Maungdaw near the border of Bangladesh, capturing an outpost, three soldiers, and a range of weapons/munitions. Multiple police and Tatmadaw personnel were killed while no Arakan Army losses were reported.

The Arakan Army may soon have full control of the Bangladeshi border. If this becomes a reality, the Tatmadaw will be at its most severe disadvantage since fighting intensified after the February 2021 coup. Rebel forces now appear to have momentum in the over 74-year-old conflict.

A member of the Northern Alliance, Arakan Army has been on the frontlines against the Burmese state since 2009 fighting for the self-determination of the Rakhine peoples of Arakan (western Burma). Like most members of the Northern Alliance, it advocates for a confederal system in Burma where no ethnic power structure has power over another.

I recommend following @liberate_myanmar @fullbellies_forlife @theirrawady for updates on the conflict in Burma.