In the decisive year of the Arakan war, the Arakan Army (AA) has fully captured and controlled up to fifteen townships, with only three more townships remaining to be targeted and captured.

As part of the “1027 Operation,” led by the three Brotherhood alliance, including the Arakan Army, the campaign began in the Arakan region on November 13, 2023. However, it was only from January 2024 that the forces were able to capture towns.

From January to December 2024, during the one-year Arakan decisive war, the Arakan Army successfully captured 15 townships. The towns were captured in the following months: two townships in January, four in February, three in March, one in May, one in September, and four in December.

On January 14, 2024, at around 3:00 PM, the Arakan Army successfully captured “Hnma Da Byuha” in the Paletwa Township, located on the Arakan-India border. This marked the first town under the Arakan Army’s control in the Paletwa Township along the border.

On January 19, 2024, the Arakan Army captured Pauktaw Township, located on the east bank of the Kaladan River, which is near the Kalatan Port project of India. Furthermore, the Arakan Army successfully threatened the strategic location on the west bank of the Kalatan River, near Sittwe, where the Indian port is situated.

On February 8, 2024, the Arakan Army successfully captured Mrauk-U Township, which is home to significant historical and ancient heritage sites, marking the capture of one of the most valuable locations in the Arakan region.

On February 13th, the Arakan Army successfully captured the control center of the Operation-9 military command and took full control of Kyauktaw Township, which had been controlling the Kalatan River route. They were also able to secure and maintain control over the route along India’s Kalatan multi-modal transit project.

On February 15th, the Arakan Army fully captured Myaybon town connecting the Ann Township, which houses the Western Military Command, and the Kyaukphru Township, where Chinese projects are located. As a result, they secured control over the area between Ann and Kyaukphru Townships.

On February 26th, around 7:00 PM, the Arakan Army fully captured the No. 9 Advance Military Training School. As a result, they gained control over the interconnected areas of Pauktaw, Minbrar, Myaybon, Mrauk-U, and Kyauktaw Townships.

On March 4th, the Arakan Army fully captured Ponnakyun Township, which borders the capital and other areas. As a result, they were able to militarily blockade Sittwe Township and also gained control over the Sittwe-Yangon highway, securing the entire route.

On March 11th, the Arakan Army fully captured Rambre Township, located on Rambre Island in the Bay of Bengal, where natural gas vents are present. As a result, they were able to monitor Kyaukphru Township, where Chinese projects are located, and also observe and carry out activities in the separately situated Manaung Township in the sea.

The battle for Ramree Township began on December 18, 2023, at 8:13 AM with the confrontation at Aung Chan Thar Pagoda in Ramree Town. The Arakan Army fought for 85 days, engaging in a sustained military campaign against the junta’s forces, which involved coordinated battalions, navy, and air attacks.

On March 17th, around 4:00 PM, the Arakan Army fully captured Rathetaung Township, a key strategic area that connects with Sittwe, Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Ponnakyun, and Kyauktaw Townships and is crucial for military strategy and supply routes. As a result, they were able to sever the maritime supply route to Buthidaung Township and also militarily threaten Sittwe Township.

On May 18th, around 12:00 PM, the Arakan Army fully captured Buthidaung Township, which houses the command center of Operation-15 and controls the India-Bangladesh border areas.

As a result, they gained control over the Arakan-Bangladesh border and the Arakan-India border, as well as the junta’s border communication routes, enabling them to oversee all of these strategic connections.

On September 5th, around 6:00 PM, the Arakan Army fully captured Thandwe Township, which is home to the junta’s naval training school and the economic interests of top military leaders. This marked the first time they gained control over the township, including the naval training school and the airport located in the area.

On December 8th, at 9:30 AM, the Arakan Army fully captured the No. 5 border guard police battalion near the entrance of Maungdaw Town. As a result, they gained complete control over the Arakan-Bangladesh border and Maungdaw Township.

On December 14th, at 4:10 PM, the Arakan Army fully captured Taunggoke Township, where the No. 5 military operations command center is located. As a result, they gained control over the Taunggoke mountain pass route.

On December 20th, at 1:40 PM, the Arakan Army fully captured Ann Township, which houses the Western Command headquarters. As a result, they were able to capture key junta figures, including the Deputy Division Commander and the Division Military Chief.

On December 29th, around 12:00 PM, the Arakan Army fully captured the No. 562 and No. 563 Infantry Battalions based in Gwa Township. As a result, they gained control over the Gwa-Ngathine Chaung road.

In the decisive phase of the Arakan war, the Arakan Army was able to capture and control Paletwa Township, located at the India border, for the first time. Additionally, they gained control over border towns and key strategic exit points along the mountainous routes from the Arakan region.

The only remaining towns yet to be targeted in the Arakan Army’s offensive are Manaung, Kyaukpyu, and Sittwe, which are crucial for maritime routes. However, on December 29, the AA also stated that it is ready to pursue a political solution to resolve the situation.

In the decisive battle of Arakan, on January 16, the Arakan Army successfully captured and secured control over the Samee town in the Paletwa Township. They also managed to control a strategic military route, which could potentially be a route for the junta to strike back and advance toward the Kalatan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project route for India.

On February 6, the Arakan Army successfully captured and secured control over the Tawngpyaw town in the Arakan-Bengal border area. They also managed to control the Khamoungseik town in the Arakan-Bengal border region, as well as the entire border area stretching from the Arakan-Bengal-India border region.

The Arakan Army has successfully captured and secured control over 15 townships within a year, and has held over 20 towns in total. The people of Arakan say that the Arakan Army is functioning as the governing authority, operating administrative systems as the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government.

The Arakan Army has successfully captured and secured control over two townships with airports, one township with a university, two border townships, and three exit towns leading to central Myanmar. However, they have not yet fully gained control over the waterway and air routes operated by the military junta.