Mizzima
The deputy commander, soldiers and their family members from the junta’s Military Operation Command No. 15 in Buthidaung, Rakhine State surrendered to the Arakan Army (AA) on 4 May.
The AA released a video showing them surrendering and issued a statement that said the junta soldiers lives had been spared because they had surrendered. If they had not they were facing complete defeat and had no possibility of escaping.
The AA also confiscated weapons, ammunition and military equipment from the base.
The AA video footage of the prisoners showed them escorting about 200 junta soldiers, some of whom were injured and on stretchers. Amongst the prisoners were Rohingya youths.
Video footage showed that the Rohingya youths had surrendered alongside the junta soldiers, proving that the junta was lying when it denied AA claims that it was forcing Rohingyas to fight in Rathedaung and Maungdaw townships in Rakhine State.
The AA started attacking Military Operation Command No. 15 on 22 April and after a 12-day siege where the fighting intensified in the last week of April, the AA finally took the base on 4 May.
The surrender was led by the Deputy Commander of Military Operation Command No. 15 but the Division Commander managed to evade capture, according to sources close to the AA. According to junta Telegram channels the Division Commander is currently in Maungdaw Town.
Military Operation Command No. 15 were key instigators of ethnic and religious conflict in Rakhine State, according to the AA.
Originally, the junta had three Military Operation Commands in Rakhine State. But now, following the capture of Military Operation Command No. 15 in Butidaung by the AA and their earlier capture of Military Operation Command No. 9 in Kyauktaw Town in February, the junta only has one Military Operation Command in Rakhine State, Military Operation Command No. 5 in Taungup Town.
