AA Capture of Kyaukphyu Rural Areas Displaces Thousands
The Arakan Army (AA) seized control of several key military outposts in rural Kyaukphyu, Rakhine State. The fighting and subsequent military retaliation via naval shelling forced 21,000 residents to flee to AA-controlled territories in central Rakhine. Local aid groups reported that the displacement happened rapidly as the military began a 'scorched earth' policy in the surrounding villages. This movement contributes to the growing humanitarian crisis in Rakhine where access for international aid remains strictly restricted by the junta.