Military Council Troops Destroy Bridge on Kyain Ta Lee-Gwa Road with Mines
Border News Agency
Am, November 15 – On November 15, the military council troops reportedly destroyed the Sap Thwa Bridge on the Kyain Ta Lee-Gwa road using landmines, according to local sources. The bridge, which was built in 1999, is a 660-foot steel-concrete structure on the Ayeyawady-Gwa-Than Dwe road, and is a key transportation link in the area.
On the left side of the bridge is the Jaingauk village, and on the right side is the Sap Thwa village. The military council had stationed its troops in Jaingauk village, but on November 14, these troops were attacked and forced to retreat by the Arakan Army (AA), locals reported. As the military council forces withdrew towards Sap Thwa, they encountered the destroyed bridge, where mines had been planted.
Despite the destruction of the bridge, the Arakan Army continued to advance and engage in battle near Sap Thwa, locals said. "The military had already planted mines at the Sap Thwa bridge for a while. Once the troops retreated, they were aware of the mines. They retreated yesterday and destroyed the bridge," one local said to Border News Agency. "The military is doing nothing. They are now attacking towards Sap Thwa, and it’s the locals who are suffering."
In the ongoing decisive battle in the region, the Arakan Army is focused on capturing Gwa district, while military council forces continue to suffer heavy casualties and retreat, according to locals.
As military council forces retreat, they are reportedly taking local civilians as human shields, burning villages, and destroying infrastructure, including bridges and roads, according to reports from ethnic Rakhine civilians.
Throughout the Kyain Ta Lee-Gwa road, military council forces have planted mines on all the bridges, including those on the Sap Thwa road. They have also set up barricades and fortifications while continuing to resist and fight back. "The military has laid mines across the entire road. There are also mines set up on the other bridges. Even around the Sap Thwa hospital and other nearby areas, there are mines," one local told Border News Agency. "We don't know if they will destroy the hospital with mines as well once people try to flee."
The Arakan Army, as part of the allied forces of the "1027 Offensive," attacked and captured a military council base on the Maungdaw-Angumaw road on November 13 last year, marking another significant victory for the resistance forces.
Since the beginning of the final push, the military council has sealed off all major routes and bridges in the Arakan region, including land and water routes, using explosive devices and heavy machinery to destroy key infrastructure, locals say.
In Maungdaw district, there are landmines placed in several areas, including in Than Dwe, South Kot, and Buthidaung districts, with the destruction of at least 19 bridges, including the latest in Gwa district, making it the twentieth to be destroyed by mines. This has significantly disrupted transportation and movement in the region.