Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services announced on December 6 that the army and Arakan Army (AA) engaged each other near the Myanmar-Bangladesh border fence and with both sides sustaining casualties.

The announcement said frequent encounters between the army and AA had occurred since 2015 as the AA forces tried to destroy Kalartan River Basin Development Project, to hinder the construction of border fence and to create instability in Myanmar-India-Bangladesh border areas.

The AA ambushed the army column about 3,000 meters away from west-north of border post BP-64 of Myanmar-Bangladesh border on December 3 2018 and fled away from the fighting when the army returned fire. The army column pursued them and clashed again about 2,000 meters away from north of border post BP-64 of Myanmar-Bangladesh border, it said.

Similarly, about 80 members of AA forces ambushed another army column that was marching to a place between border post BP-63 and border post BP-64. Both sides encountered three times between December 4 and 5 and three mine attacks occurred from December 4 to 5. The AA forces retreated to Bangladesh, it said.

The army column conducting a military operation in Yathedaung Township encountered with the AA forces about 8,000 meters away from east-north of Yaysoechaung Village on December 5 and about 4,000 meters away from east of Naepyinchaung village in Buthidaung Township on December 6, the announcement said.

The army found four bodies and seized two M22 guns and related accessories from the AA and the army has some casualties. The army is providing security for stability and rules of law in Rakhine State and developments along the border line and the AA is intervened to destroy stability in the state. The army is conducting military operations to restore stability and to finish projects successfully, it said.