Early clashes (2015–2018) In April 2015, the AA clashed with the Myanmar Army in
Kyauktaw Township of Rakhine State and
Paletwa Township of
Chin State. On 14 July 2015,
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) rescued two Myanmar soldiers who had been captured by the Arakan Army. On 25 August 2015, a BGB patrol seized ten horses from members of the Arakan Army, who were using the animals to transport supplies. Later that day, at 09:30 am local time, the Arakan Army fired on a ten-member BGB team patrolling in the Baramadak area near the
Sangu River and the village of Boro Modok in
Thanchi, Bangladesh. The exchange of gunfire lasted five hours. Nayek Jakir Hossain of the Barakadam BOP was wounded during the gunfight. He was rescued from the area and was sent to the Combined Military Hospital in
Chittagong via helicopter. The Arakan Army lost two horses during the skirmish. According to locals sources, eight to twenty Arakan Army members were wounded. The BGB declared a state of emergency at the Bangladesh–Myanmar border in response to the incident and sent one BGB unit, two
Bangladesh Army units, and one
F-7 of the
Bangladesh Air Force as reinforcements to the area to conduct a coordinated operation against the Arakan Army. Upon request from the Bangladeshi government, the Myanmar government sealed off their side of the border. Bangladeshi forces later arrested a Burmese citizen and accomplice of the Arakan Army, Ong Owong Rakhain, in
Rajasthali Upazila. He had Arakan Army uniforms, laptops, digital cameras, motorcycles and two horses in his possession. Two more people were arrested in the following days. In December 2015, the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army engaged in several days of fighting around north of
Sittwe at the border between
Kyauktaw and
Mrauk U townships. An unknown number of military personnel were killed in the fighting. Several Tatmadaw personnel, including one commanding officer, were killed in sniper attacks. Many others were injured. Following clashes between Rohingya insurgents and Burmese security forces in
northern Rakhine State in October 2016, the Arakan Army released a press statement calling the perpetrators (the
Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army) "savage Bengali Muslim terrorists" and the violence a "rampage of the Bengali Islamic fundamentalist militants in northern Arakan." According to the
BBC, there was popular support for the Arakan Army in Mrauk U and a number of men from the town recently joined the group. On 21 December 2018, the Myanmar Army declared a four-month unilateral ceasefire in five conflict areas, saying it would hold talks with non-signatories of the
Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) during the ceasefire period. However, the Western Command (stationed in Chin State and Rakhine State) was notably excluded from the unilateral ceasefire announcement and an increase in clashes between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army was reported.
2019–2020 war with the Tatmadaw On 4 January 2019, around 300 members of the Arakan Army launched pre-dawn attacks on four border police outposts—Kyaung Taung, Nga Myin Taw, Ka Htee La and Kone Myint—in northern
Buthidaung Township. Thirteen members of the
Border Guard Police (BGP) were killed and nine others were injured, whilst 40 firearms and more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition were taken by the Arakan Army. The Arakan Army later stated that it had captured nine BGP personnel and five civilians, and that three of its fighters were also killed in the attacks. Following the attacks, the Office of the
President of Myanmar held a high-level meeting on national security in the capital
Naypyidaw on 7 January 2019, and instructed the Defense Ministry to increase troop deployments in the areas that were attacked and to use aircraft if necessary. Myanmar Army soldiers from the 22nd Light Infantry Division, elements of the 66th and 99th Light Infantry Divisions, and battalions from the Western Command of the Tatmadaw were reportedly involved in the subsequent military offensive against the Arakan Army. Clashes were reported in
Maungdaw, Buthidaung,
Kyauktaw,
Rathedaung and
Ponnagyun Townships, located in the northern and central parts of Rakhine State. The
Rakhine State government issued a notice blocking non-governmental organisations and
UN agencies, except for the
International Committee of the Red Cross and the
World Food Programme, from travelling to rural areas in these townships affected by the conflict. The fighting prompted 5,000 civilians to flee from their homes and to take shelter in monasteries and communal areas across the region, according to the
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Civilian casualties, arbitrary detention of ethnic Rakhine villagers, and military blockage of food aid and medical relief were also reported. On 9 March 2019, around 60 AA insurgents launched an evening attack on Yoe-ta-yoke Police Station. According to a leaked combat report, nine policemen were killed, two were injured, and a dozen weapons, including 10
BA-63 battle rifles, were stolen by the attackers. On the same day, AA insurgents managed to conquer the front line commanding post of Rakhine State's
Gwa Township-based No. 563 Light Infantry Battalion under the supervision of Light Infantry Division No. 5. According to a press release by the Arakan Army, 11 personnel, including four military engineers, were captured and 16 backhoe excavators, a car, a dump truck, and 60 mm and 80 mm mortars were confiscated. In April, around 200 AA insurgents attacked the No. 31 Police Security Unit at 10 p.m. The Tatmadaw retaliated with fighter jets, bombing AA positions until 6 a.m. the next day. On 22 September, fighting broke out near Taunggyi Village in
Myebon Township, as the ceasefire expired. In October, AA soldiers captured a ferry on the
Mayu River between Sittwe and Buthidaung Township and abducted a group of 58 passengers, which included soldiers, police officers and government workers. A rescue attempt by the Tatmadaw using a helicopter resulted in an exchange of gunfire, killing several of the hostages. On 6 February 2020, the Arakan Army attacked an outpost of the Tatmadaw on a bank of
Kaladan River in Chin State. Fighting continued for weeks and peaked in the second week of March when the Arakan Army claimed it had captured 36 soldiers, including a battalion commander. On 19 March 2020, the Tatmadaw made a statement claiming that its forces could break the Arakan Army's siege of the outpost. On 26 May 2020, the Arakan Army released a statement demanding the immediate withdrawal of Burmese Government administration and Burmese Armed Forces from Arakan. In January 2019, Myanmar's Anti-Terrorism Central Committee designated Arakan Army as a terrorist group under the country's counter-terrorism law. AA and the central government reached a ceasefire in November 2020. At the time of the ceasefire, Myanmar's control had been severely eroded in central and northern Rakhine State, leaving a vacuum that the Arakan Army would fill out of the next 18 months. AA rolled out many public services, like
COVID-19 vaccines and local administrators in northern Rakhine State.
Myanmar civil war (2021–present) After the
2021 Myanmar coup d'état both the military junta and government-in-exile withdrew its designation of the AA as a terrorist group. The
State Administration Council (SAC) withdrew its designation on 11 March 2021, while the
Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) announced a few days later that it was rescinding its terrorist designation for all insurgent groups. Nevertheless, on 30 March, the AA threatened to end the ceasefire with the Tatmadaw should the SAC refuse to order a halt to the massacre of civilians
protesting the coup. On 10 April 2021, the AA alongside its allies,
TNLA and
MNDAA, launched an attack on a police station south of
Lashio in
Shan State, killing at least 14 police officers and burning the station to the ground. , 2016 Between June and August 2022, the informal ceasefire in late 2020 between the Arakan Army and the junta broke down. With the military's attention on the increasing resistance elsewhere and increasing popular support to partner with the
Nation Unity Government (NUG), AA began to seek an expansion of its influence into southern Rakhine. Armed clashes resumed in July after the junta launched an airstrike against an AA base in
Kayin State, killing 6 AA soldiers. AA retaliated in Maungdaw Township 12 days later killing four and capturing fourteen junta soldiers. Armed clashes broke out in northern Rakhine and western Chin State in late July and early August, including in the city of
Paletwa, Chin State. By late August, travel to northern Rakhine required notifying series of checkpoints and all public transport ships ceased operating. Both the AA and the junta placed blockaded and strict prior notice for all travelers attempting to cross river and land blockades. The renewed war was markedly different as the junta had significantly less morale and the AA was now part of a popular de facto alliance with NUG-led resistance forces.
Ceasefire On 26 November 2022, the Arakan Army and the junta agreed to a temporary ceasefire beginning on the following day. It was brokered by
Yōhei Sasakawa of the
Nippon Foundation who acted as an intermediary. AA spokseman
Khaing Thu Kha stated that they agreed to it for humanitarian reasons and not because of international pressure. The group did not withdraw from fortifications held at the time of the ceasefire. A junta official told
The Irrawaddy that it was the first step towards a permanent ceasefire. As of mid-December, tensions remained high with forces from both sides remaining in deployment within northern Rakhine State. AA remained part of the
Three Brotherhood Alliance and is reportedly involved in joint operations outside of Rakhine State, including
Operation 1027, an offensive ranging from Lashio to
Kokang, northern Shan State, in October 2023. AA also had multiple skirmishes with junta forces in
Htigyaing Township,
Sagaing Region. AA claimed that these skirmishes are part of
Operation 1027. AA and KIA combined forces captured Gangdau Yang base on
Myitkyina-
Bhamo road on 31 October. A combined force of AA, KIA and local PDF started attacking
Kawlin on 3 November and it was completely seized on 6 November. It became the first district-level town to be taken by the rebels.
Resumption of war and Operation 1027 On the morning of 13 November 2023, as part of Operation 1027, the Arakan Army attacked two Border Guard Police stations in Rathedaung Township, breaking the Rakhine state ceasefire agreement between the junta and AA. The following night, the Arakan Army launched an attack on
Pauktaw, seizing the
Township's police station. By the next morning, the Arakan Army had taken control of the town. Pauktaw's proximity to the Rakhine state capital, Sittwe, posed a threat to the junta. The town was retaken by the junta the following day. In December 2023, the
Three Brotherhood Alliance, of which the Arakan Army is a part, and the junta agreed on a ceasefire in northern Shan State. Following this, in January 2024, the Arakan Army escalated their offence into
Paletwa Township and captured
Paletwa, a strategic town for the Indo-Myanmar
Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project. A week later, the Arakan Army again captured the town of Pauktaw, concluding a three-month battle. The Arakan Army captured the remaining Tatmadaw bases in
Minbya on 6 February, thus taking full control of
Minbya Township. The same day, the AA seized the Taung Pyo junta outpost along the border with Bangladesh in Maungdaw Township. The Arakan Army then captured
Kyauktaw on 7 February, while heavy fighting continued in
Mrauk U and
Ramree. The Tatmadaw abandoned
Myebon to go to
Kyaukphyu on 9 February, leaving ammunition behind in their rush and abandoning the southern township of
Mrauk-U District. The following day, the AA took the historic town of
Mrauk U, completing their control over the township. During the battle, three
Myanmar Navy landing craft were reportedly sunk. In response to the seizure of the three towns, the junta blew up bridges in
Kyauktaw Township and the state capital, Sittwe. 5 days later, the Arakan Army captured Myebon, completing their capture of the entirety of
Mrauk-U District. On 24 March, the Arakan Army began an offensive on
Ann Township concurrently with their offensive on Sittwe, launching attacks on
Ann, the headquarters of the junta's
Western Command. North of Ann, the Arakan Army launched attacks on neighbouring
Ngape Township in
Magway Region. Ann's location is strategically important as the link between Rakhine and Magway via the Minbu-Ann road through the
Arakan Mountains and as a gateway preventing AA from attacking southern Rakhine State. On 27 March, Arakan Army forces seized a camp near Ge Laung village, Ann Township. On 2 April, the Arakan Army announced it had captured a portion of the Ann-
Minbu Highway, cutting off Ann from neighboring Padein. During these offensives, on 10 April, the Arakan Army rebranded itself as the "Arakha Army" to represent all people living in Rakhine State. The Arakan Army and the
Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) clashed in
Buthidaung Township on 15 April, killing 25 Rohingyas. A local reported that the Tatmadaw and ARSA fought together during the clashes. On 27 April, the Arakan Army captured Taw Hein Taung base in the hilltops of Ann township. On 6 May, the Arakan army also captured the 15th MOC headquarters. On 3 May, the Arakan Army captured the headquarters of the Border Guard Police in
Maungdaw Township at Kyee Kan Pyin, forcing at least 128 junta soldiers to cross the border into Bangladesh. The next day, the Arakan Army announced that, after a prolonged siege, it had captured the
15th Military Operations Command near
Buthidaung. The Arakan Army claimed that the battle for the base killed "hundreds" of junta soldiers, and that hundreds of junta soldiers and their families had surrendered. On 13 April, the Arakan Army began clashing with junta forces along the
Thandwe-
Taungup highway. On 22 April, intense clashes broke out around the Tha Htay hydropower plant in northern
Thandwe Township, reportedly leading to the deaths of "dozens" of junta soldiers. On 25 April, the Arakan Army began clashing with junta forces near the
Ngapali Beach. The Arakan Army began launching attacks on neighboring
Maungdaw on 22 May. On 29 May, the junta and the allied
Arakan Liberation Army soldiers
killed over 70 villagers from the village of Byian Phyu near Sittwe due to suspected Arakan Army sympathies in the village. From late May to early June, the Arakan Army launched attacks on the remaining junta bases throughout Maungdaw Township. On 16 June, the AA urged residents of Maungdaw to evacuate the town, claiming that all junta bases in the township had either been captured or encircled, and that they would attack the town. In response to the fighting in Maungdaw, the
Bangladesh Navy deployed warships around
St. Martin's Island, which has
been shot at several times by junta forces. On 2 June, clashes again erupted on the Thandwe-Taungup highway near Ngapali Beach, with the AA captured Gawt village during the fighting. Over the next week, the fighting moved closer to
Thandwe and neighboring
Ngapali Beach, forcing the
Thandwe Airport to close. During the fighting, Burmese forces shelled Singaung village, killing between 60 and 120 villagers. On 15 June, the Arakan Army launched an offensive to capture neighboring
Taungup, with AA forces launching attacks on the junta base near Taungup University. After months of relative peace, heavy clashes broke out outside of
Kyaukphyu on 17 June after junta forces were leaving Danyawaddy naval base, near Thaing Chaung village, leading to 10 junta deaths. On 20 June, AA forces ambushed a junta column along the Taungup-
Pandaung road, leading to 60 junta deaths. On 23 June, AA forces captured
Thandwe Airport, the first airport to be captured by resistance forces since the 2021 coup. By 26 June, fighting had spread to Ngapali Beach, and the AA began launching attacks on the last 2 junta bases in Thandwe town. On 17 July, AA forces captured Thandwe itself after three weeks of fighting. On 2 September, the SAC redeclared the AA as a terrorist group for "bombing civilians." On 8 December 2024, Arakan Army gained full control of Myanmar's 270-kilometer-long border with
Bangladesh, capturing
Maungdaw Township and the
Border Guard Police Battalion No. 5 after months of intense fighting. With this victory, the AA now controls all three Myanmar townships bordering Bangladesh:
Maungdaw,
Buthidaung, and
Paletwa. In the aftermath of the
Maungdaw battle, the AA arrested Brigadier General
Thurein Tun and approximately 80 Rohingya insurgents. The ongoing conflict has worsened the famine in Rakhine, with the UN reporting that 2 million people are at risk. The junta's blockade has disrupted essential supplies. On 13 December 2024 the
Tatmadaw's MOC-5 surrendered to the AA. With that conquest, the Arakan Army managed to seize the entirety of
Taungup and its
township after 42 days of fighting. By mid-to-late January 2025, Arakan Army claimed that it had seized multiple junta bases on the borders of Rakhine,
Magway, Bago, and Ayeyarwady regions, including Moe Hti base and Points 263 and 369. Arakan Army and the joint PDF forces pushed into
Shwethaungyan Subtownship, northwest
Ayeyarwaddy Region taking the village of Magyizin. Battle with the junta intensified in the area as the
Myanmar Navy increased bombardments to the Bawmi coastline area near Magyizin. By February 2025, according to a recent CSIS reports, AA is alleged to already establishing local governments in the Rakhine townships it controls. By late March, AA had reached the eastern side of the Arakan mountains taking villages in
Lemyethna Township near the Pathein-Monywa Highway. == War crimes and atrocities ==