Airstrikes Hit Four Towns in Rakhine as Myanmar Military Counteroffensive Struggles

What happened

The local outlet Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) reports that the Myanmar Air Force conducted retaliatory airstrikes on four villages controlled by the Arakan Army (AA) in Rakhine State, specifically in the Arakan State capital Sittwe and in Kyaukphyu, Thandwe, and Ponnagyun townships on Tuesday. According to DVB, no casualties were officially reported by either side from these recent strikes.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. The strikes support a regime counteroffensive launched on September 4 involving around 200 troops advancing along a 14-mile stretch between Awataung and Sa Ne villages, where ongoing fighting has reportedly forced regime forces into retreat in parts of Kyaukphyu, a township that hosts a China-backed deep sea port project. DVB cites residents describing this military dynamic, with clashes between AA and regime forces having begun a sustained battle over Sittwe and Kyaukphyu since February 2025.

Although no casualties were reported in Sittwe and Kyaukphyu from the airstrikes, DVB confirms that on September 7, two regime airstrikes in Thandwe Township killed at least one woman and injured three other civilians. Thandwe, seized by the AA in 2024, along with Ponnagyun and Rathedaung townships, have seen mass displacement due to airstrikes and artillery shelling, with thousands forced from about 20 villages since early September, but DVB reports no confirmed casualty figures for those displacements.

Known from the source

• Myanmar Air Force carried out airstrikes on four villages under AA control in Rakhine State: Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, Thandwe, and Ponnagyun townships.
• No casualties were reported in these airstrikes by either side, except in Thandwe where 1 woman was killed and 3 civilians injured on September 7.
• A counteroffensive by about 200 regime troops started on September 4 along a 14-mile road near Awataung and Sa Ne villages.
• Regime forces in parts of Kyaukphyu are reported by residents to be in retreat.
• The AA controls most of Arakan State, holding 14 of 17 townships as of the report, plus Paletwa township in Chin State.

What remains unclear

A source close to the AA told DVB anonymously that regime forces have suffered “heavy casualties” in fighting around Ponnagyun since the counteroffensive began, although these figures remain unverified. DVB also reports that retaliatory airstrikes destroyed one school and one residential home in Phatkya village on September 7, with no casualties as civilians had evacuated beforehand. The strategic element intensified with an influx of over 1,000 regime troops arriving in Sittwe mid-August, enabling the ground push toward Ponnagyun.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Casualty figures and civilian injuries reported in Thandwe Township airstrikes. Extent of regime troop casualties cited by an anonymous AA source around Ponnagyun. Verification of no casualties reported in the four villages targeted by airstrikes aside from Thandwe.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: DVB English. Open the source.