The Arakan Army (AA) and its allies launched an offensive on Myanmar military outposts near the Ann-Padan road, a strategic link between Rakhine State and Magwe Region. Fighting erupted on Saturday at outposts in villages near Goggyi, approximately 32 kilometers from Padan in Magwe’s Ngape Township.

The attacked outposts guard the Nat Yay Kan artillery base, a key defense point. “AA-led forces must overcome these outposts to advance from Ann to Padan,” a local source explained, noting that the junta responded with airstrikes.

After capturing Ann town and its Western Command headquarters last month, the AA has focused on controlling the Ann-Padan route. Resistance groups reported difficulty assessing the battle due to ongoing regime air and artillery strikes.

In a series of ambushes, local resistance groups targeted junta vehicles and fleeing soldiers. Remote-controlled mines struck five vehicles near Goggyi, killing four and injuring 13, while 11 soldiers fleeing Ann were reportedly captured by the Chinland Defense Force-Asho.

Padan, home to Artillery Battalion Headquarters 905 and other key military sites, remains heavily fortified. Nearby areas in Ngape and Sidoktaya host munitions factories critical to the regime’s operations.

The area west of the Irrawaddy River, encompassing parts of Magwe and Bago regions, has historically been a stronghold for resistance movements, including the now-defunct Communist Party of Burma. Fighting in the region had ceased for decades but has reignited with the advance of AA-led forces.