Myanmar civil war: Junta suffers MAJOR defeat as rebels capture Rohingya-dominated Bangladesh border; What’s happens next?

This new twist in the Myanmar civil war sees the Arakan Army now in control of the entire Rakhine State, barring the capital, Sittwe, which remains in the army's grip.

Myanmar civil war: In a significant development in the Myanmar civil war, which has been raging since 2021, the military junta has suffered a major defeat at the hands of rebel fighters of the Arakan Army (AA), who have seized control of the BGP5 barracks, an important and strategic army base located near the Rohingya-dominated Bangladesh border in Rakhine State.

According to reports, the BGP5 base was the last stronghold of the Myanmar army in Rakhine state, and with its fall, the junta regime has lost control of the country’s entire border with Bangladesh, which is now controlled by rebel forces, marking the first major defeat for the junta since 2021 coup.

This new twist in the Myanmar civil war sees the Arakan Army now in control of the entire Rakhine State, barring the capital, Sittwe, which remains in the army’s grip. The AA has been fighting the Myanmar army since the civil war broke out in 2021 and capturing the BGP5 base is their biggest victory till date, as it increases rebel group’s influence.

As per media reports, the Arakan Army had laid siege to the BGP5 base for months, and ultimately launched a massive attack to capture it from the army. The strategic base, which is spread across 20 hectares, is located in Rohingya-dominated area near the Myanmar-Bangladesh border.

How rebels captured key army base

According to reports, the BGP5 was a highly fortified army base with several bunkers and a deadly minefield laid around it. The junta army had also dug deep trenches around base and placed razor-sharp nails in these to prevent any surprise attacks from rebel forces.

The rebels laid siege to the base months ago and finally captured it following a fierce battle with the Myanmar army, making Arakan Army the first rebel group to capture an entire state of the Myanmar.

For the first time since the 2021 coup, the Myanmar has lost control of the entire border, with the 270 km long Myanmar-Bangladesh now completely under rebel control. The junta forces have lost city after city to rebels during the course of the Myanmar civil war, but the losing control of the BGP5 base is being termed as the biggest blow yet.

While the army still has control of Rakhine capital, Sittwe, experts believe that its should be easy to capture for the AA, now that the group has control of the almost the entire state.

The rebel victory is being touted as a major setback for the Junta chief General Min Aung Hlaing, the military general who seized power in the 2021 coup and appointed himself as the Chairman of the State Administration Council.