The Arakan Army (AA) claimed to capture Ponnagyun Township police station near Rakhine State’s capital Sittwe on Thursday.
Ponnagyun is on the Yangon-Sittwe road about 30km north of the state capital, where the regime has tightened security.
Over half of Sittwe’s residents, including many junta administrators, have fled the city, a resident recently told The Irrawaddy.
The rebel army said it is attacking all regime strongholds, including command centers in Ponnagyun, Rathedaung, Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships.
On Thursday, the regime continued shelling civilian targets in Sittwe, Ponnagyun, Rathedaung and Buthidaung townships, according to the AA.
It said it was attacking the junta’s 9th Central Military Training School, a large stronghold near Kan Ni village in Minbya Township, on Thursday.
It has been attacking the base since Saturday and seized three outposts defending the school.
Junta bombardments of the coastal town of Ramree continued with Y12 airplanes on Thursday. Fighting was reported by the Rakhine media in the township when the AA attacked a military vessel attempting to reinforce the town. The vessel retreated.
The AA is a member of the Brotherhood Alliance which launched Operation 1027 across northern Shan State on October 27 last year, seizing around 20 towns and vital trade routes with China.
The operation was halted in early January after the alliance agreed to a Chinese-brokered ceasefire deal with the regime.
The AA widened the operation to Rakhine State on November 13 and has seized more than 170 junta strongholds and seven towns in Rakhine State and neighboring Chin State.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
