Junta bombards AA-held Laytaung for second consecutive day

By Admin 06 Jun 2026

DMG Newsroom

6 June 2026, Ramree

The Myanmar military regime launched intense aerial and naval attacks on Laytaung Town in Ramree Township for a second consecutive day, targeting an area under the control of the Arakan Army (AA), according to local sources.

On the evening of June 5, regime forces used fighter jets and drones to drop dozens of bombs on Laytaung Town.

"We cannot pinpoint the exact locations hit yet, but more than ten bombs were dropped. The bombardment was relentless," a female resident of Ramree said.

At the same time, junta warships stationed off the coast near Laytaung fired heavy artillery shells toward the town later that evening.

DMG is still verifying the extent of casualties and property damage caused by the attacks.

The bombardment followed an earlier strike on the evening of June 4, when the regime used suicide drones to attack Ward No. 4 in Laytaung Town twice. Several civilian homes were destroyed and livestock were killed in that attack.

Military analysts say the continued attacks on Ramree Township may be a response to losses suffered by junta forces in neighboring Kyaukphyu Township, where intense fighting is ongoing between the military and the Arakan Army near the strategically important Taung Maw Gyi naval station.

According to observers, the regime is targeting civilians in Laytaung in an attempt to pressure local residents and slow the Arakan Army's offensive operations.

"Geographically, Laytaung sits directly across the main waterway from Kyaukphyu. It is an oil-producing area that provides employment for many local residents who are otherwise struggling to find work in Arakan State," said Captain Zin Yaw, a military defector participating in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).

"Recently, we have observed that the Arakan Army alters its military strategies or hesitates when civilian areas are targeted. Therefore, the regime is likely carrying out aerial attacks on Laytaung, where there is no active fighting, in an effort to weaken the Arakan Army's offensive against the Taung Maw Gyi naval station," Captain Zin Yaw added.

The Arakan Army fully seized control of Ramree Township on March 11, 2024. The regime now controls only three urban centers in Arakan State: Sittwe, Kyaukphyu and Manaung. Heavy fighting continues in the former two.

As the military loses territory across Arakan State, civilian casualties have risen due to airstrikes, drone attacks and naval shelling targeting residential areas and displacement camps near conflict zones.

On May 28 and June 1, regime airstrikes targeted the area around Mt. Peinhne, located between Kyaukphyu and Ramree townships, where thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) have taken shelter.

Those attacks killed or injured at least 12 people, including IDPs. Local residents say they are living in constant fear as the regime increasingly targets non-military sites amid battlefield setbacks.