At least 10 Myanmar junta soldiers were killed and five others captured alive after the Arakan Army (AA) ambushed a military convoy advancing towards the besieged Nat Yay Kan strategic outpost along the Ann–Padan Yoma road, which connects Ann Township in Rakhine State with Ngape Township in Magway Region.
The clash broke out around noon on October 28, when a column of approximately 150 junta troops moved towards the hilltop military base in an attempt to reinforce the garrison, according to a military source quoted by Narinjara on Thursday.
The source said fighting had continued for two days, with the October 28 clashes proving particularly intense as the convoy attempted to advance along a mountainous ridge between Pazi and Got Gyi villages. The Arakan Army launched a surprise attack on the troops, inflicting heavy casualties and forcing the military to call in jet fighters for air support.
The convoy was reportedly moving through a route between the old and new roads that is not normally used by the Myanmar military for regular operations. The troops came under attack while crossing the hills towards the Nat Yay Kan outpost, the report said.
At least 10 junta soldiers were killed in Wednesday's fighting, while five were captured alive and several others wounded, the source told Narinjara. Following the losses, the military column was forced to withdraw to a nearby position while attempting to regroup.
The Arakan Army continued pursuing the retreating troops and launching further attacks, with clashes remaining intense in the area, according to the report.
Local residents told Narinjara that the military stepped up aerial and ground attacks around the strategic base as fighting escalated. Jet fighters, Y-12 aircraft and paramotors were reportedly used to carry out bombing and firing operations in surrounding areas.
The military's Artillery Unit 905 also provided support by shelling the area with heavy weapons, according to local accounts cited in the report.
The Nat Yay Kan outpost has remained under Arakan Army siege, making attempts to reinforce the position a continuing challenge for junta forces operating along the Rakhine-Magway border.
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