23 May 2026 By Nway
THAYET, Myanmar — Anti-junta resistance forces in western Myanmar have enacted an emergency highway lockdown, as a massive deployment of more than 1,000 military regime troops prepares for a sweeping offensive near the foothills of the Arakan Yoma mountain range.
The Thayet District Battalion 4 issued an urgent public directive ordering civilians to immediately suspend all travel along the strategic Thayet–Mindon highway corridor. The command warned that the measure was necessary to protect the public ahead of anticipated high-intensity clashes as guerrilla units move to intercept the advancing military columns.
According to regional resistance command data, the regime has been systematically staging forces along the corridor for several weeks. An initial garrison of 200 troops occupied villages at the base of the mountain range in western Mindon Township in April, followed by another 200 reinforcements on 18 May.
The buildup escalated drastically on Friday, 22 May, when a heavily fortified convoy of 30 military trucks transported over 600 fresh infantry troops directly from the central hub of Thayet into Mindon.
“The military is now fully using the Thayet–Mindon highway route to mobilize their columns,” Ko Myat, the Information Officer for Thayet District Battalion 4, told MPA on Saturday. “As our tactical units prepare to launch immediate interdiction and cutting operations against these columns, we cannot guarantee civilian safety. Therefore, we have completely banned all civilian traffic to prevent collateral damage.”
Local defense forces confirmed that as of Saturday morning, the combined force of over 1,000 junta soldiers had split into multiple columns, scattering across western Mindon and establishing tactical outposts.
The targeted sector holds immense strategic value for the military regime, which has suffered catastrophic territorial losses to the Arakha Army (AA) in neighboring Rakhine State over the past two years. Western Mindon comprises a network of rural villages that have remained entirely outside junta administrative control, serving as a vital buffer zone along the rugged border of the Arakan Yoma.
“These villages at the edge of the mountain range are resistance-controlled territories,” Ko Myat explained. “By throwing an entire brigade-sized force into this sector, the junta high command is desperate to crush local defense pockets and establish a secure launchpad to push through the mountains to reclaim lost networks on the Rakhine side.”
The Thayet District Battalion 4 stated that the total travel ban on the Thayet–Mindon route will remain in effect indefinitely until further notice. Under the strict emergency decree, only urgent medical crises will be considered for travel, and civilians must secure official permission from regional resistance administrators before attempting to pass through the contested corridor.
