Arakan News Agency
The city of Sittwe, capital of Arakan State, is witnessing a significant military escalation as fighting intensifies between Buddhist Arakan militias (Arakan Army) and the Myanmar army. Arakan militias continue to launch attacks on military positions of the Myanmar military council within the city and its surroundings, raising growing concerns for the safety of civilians caught in the conflict, particularly the Rohingya communities living in highly vulnerable conditions.
According to “Naringara,” citing local sources and media reports, Arakan militia commando units managed on January 9 to seize two military positions linked to the regional military command based in Sittwe, following heavy clashes near key roads that serve as vital arteries to the command headquarters.
The report stated that the battles resulted in the deaths of several Myanmar army soldiers, while others withdrew toward the main base. Militia forces also captured weapons and military equipment. The Myanmar army has not issued any official statement regarding these developments, and human casualty figures remain difficult to verify independently.
These clashes are part of a broader offensive launched by Arakan militias since early January, as they continue to increase pressure on Myanmar military council positions in Sittwe and surrounding areas, attempting to expand their military influence.
Local residents confirmed hearing continuous gunfire, alongside observing intense military movements within the city and its outskirts, heightening civilian anxiety and sparking fears of new waves of displacement.
Amid this escalation, Rohingya civilians face increasing risks, with local sources indicating that both sides of the conflict—the Arakan militias and the Myanmar army—have imposed strict movement restrictions and carried out raids and security pressures on Rohingya villages. This has left residents vulnerable to abuses, mistreatment, and forced displacement.
At the same time, human rights reports indicate that both the Myanmar military council and Arakan militias have intensified forced recruitment of Rohingya men in recent days. Human rights organizations and community leaders have warned that the Rohingya are being treated as “war fodder,” paying the price for a conflict in which they had no role in creating or directing.
With the clashes continuing and the security situation deteriorating, humanitarian access to affected areas remains limited. Civilians across Sittwe, especially Rohingya communities, are facing a dire humanitarian situation, amid a lack of adequate protection and growing fears of further escalation in the coming period.
Many Sittwe residents fear that the recent fighting will trigger further displacement of Rohingya, similar to what occurred previously in the cities of Buthidaung and Maungdaw.
Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State, remains one of three cities still under the control of Myanmar’s ruling military council, which lost control over 14 other cities in the state after Buddhist Arakan militias (Arakan Army) launched a military campaign in November 2023 to seize them. This conflict has heavily affected the Rohingya, who have been subjected to violence, forced displacement, and persecution by both sides, following the 2017 “genocide” campaign by the Myanmar army that forced nearly one million Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.
