AA Commander-in-Chief Vows to Capture Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, and Manaung Before 2027 — AA Controls 14 of 17 Rakhine Townships After 40+ Junta Killed Near Naval Bases

Arakan Army Commander-in-Chief Major General Twan Mrat Naing publicly declared the AA's intent to capture all remaining junta-held towns in Rakhine State — including the state capital Sittwe, the Chinese-backed deep-sea port city Kyaukphyu, and Manaung Island — before the end of 2026 or early 2027. The declaration follows a fierce AA offensive around Myanmar Navy's western bases: between May 29 and June 1, 2026, AA forces killed over 40 junta soldiers (including a captain) in engagements around Shwe Min Gan naval support base and Kyar Ma Thauk village military position, approximately 2km from the SAC's primary western naval complex. Heavy artillery exchanges between AA ground forces and junta naval vessels in the Bay of Bengal and the Kaladan River have continued, with junta warships 'firing nonstop' per Irrawaddy reporting. The AA currently controls approximately 14 of Rakhine State's 17 townships — over 80% of the state — plus Paletwa Township in Chin State. For Kyaukphyu, the AA's 2027 timeline creates particular strategic tension: the city hosts China's $7.3 billion CMEC deep-sea port project (CITIC Group), a natural gas pipeline to Yunnan, and a crude oil terminal — Chinese infrastructure that Beijing has been pressing the AA to protect. More than 8,000 civilians have fled the vicinity of Kyaukphyu, where all land supply routes have been severed by the AA. Sittwe has been under AA siege since the March 23, 2026 assault on Shwe Min Gan Naval Base, with AA fighters reaching within 2km of the city center. The AA's 2027 conquest pledge signals the end-game of the Rakhine campaign.