Arakan Army Attacks Junta Camps Near No. 16 Defence Equipment Factory in Pantaung, Bago Region — Over 20 SAC Soldiers Killed, Weapons Confiscated

Arakan Army (AA) forces attacked strategic junta military camps and security outposts in Pantaung Township, Bago Region, near the junta's No. 16 Defence Equipment Factory, on May 10, 2026, killing over 20 SAC soldiers and confiscating weapons, according to the Mizzima Spring Revolution Daily News. The No. 16 Defence Equipment Factory is one of Myanmar's strategic military-industrial facilities and its surrounding area has seen rising AA operational pressure as the AA extends operations from its Rakhine State base into Bago Region's Ayeyarwady-adjacent townships. The AA's expansion into Bago Region represents a significant geographic extension of its operations beyond Rakhine State, consistent with the Alliance's documented push along the Ayeyarwady-Pathein river axis toward the strategic Taungup-Padaung-Pyay corridor. This attack on the No. 16 Defence Equipment Factory perimeter follows the AA's May 4 capture of the Htee Khee junta operational command base in Tanintharyi and aligns with an AA-wide pressure campaign against junta military-industrial and logistics infrastructure. The killing of 20+ junta soldiers in a single operation in Bago Region is among the highest loss tallies for SAC forces in that region in 2026. Weapons confiscated will bolster AA combat capacity.