Myanmar's armed forces (Tatmadaw) have reacted rapidly and in strength to an advance by ethnic insurgent forces into the Ayeyarwady delta region of the national heartland, which threatens the city of Pathein, headquarters of the army's Southwestern Regional Military Command (RMC).
A tri-service response pulling together army, navy, and air force assets has involved the first major deployment of armour in the civil war to date. Janes sources in Yangon noted a force of at least 20 main battle tanks along with other armoured fighting vehicles had been dispatched from the military hub of Hmabwi, north of Yangon, to reinforce the Pathein RMC.
Tatmadaw forces are currently attempting to retake the coastal village of Ma Gyi Zin, seized by the ethnic Rakhine Arkan Army (AA) on 9 January, as it advanced south into Ayeyarwady region towards the larger towns of Shwe Taung Yan and the popular beach resort of Chaung Thar.
The battle for May Gyi Zin has involved ground forces supported by air strikes and a concentration of at least 10 Myanmar Navy warships providing offshore fire support.
The AA advance into Ayeyarwady comes shortly after the group seized the Tatmadaw's Western RMC at Ann in the centre of Rakhine state on 20 December 2024. Nine days later the group went on to capture the southernmost township of Gwa where, according to AA claims, the army lost up to 700 troops killed and wounded along with armoured vehicles and large quantities of small arms and light weapons.
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