At least 15 junta troops were reported killed on Thursday during two firefights with civilian resistance fighters in Sagaing Region. The clashes took place after military regime soldiers raided villages and searched forests in the eastern part of Mingin Township.
At around 12.30pm on Thursday, fighters from the Mingin People’s Defense Force (PDF) were attacked by regime soldiers near Samyin Village, according to a local Facebook page monitoring clashes in the township. The PDF members had been assisting villagers fleeing a junta raid.
“The junta troops were wearing civilian clothes and pretending to be villagers. They attacked our members while we were helping the fleeing villagers,” said the spokesperson for the PDF-Mingin.
During the shootout, a civilian resistance fighter was killed and three others injured, according to the PDF-Mingin.
Another firefight occurred in the afternoon near Than Pauk Village. There were around 30 military casualties, claimed the spokesperson for the PDF-Mingin.
Local media said that at least 15 junta soldiers were killed in the shootouts. However, The Irrawaddy was unable to confirm that figure independently.
“We didn’t want to fight as we were helping local refugees. But they [junta troops] are marching into our area and, because of their raids, villagers are suffering hardship,” said the PDF-Mingin spokesperson.
Junta forces have been raiding villages in Mingin Township since May. Over 12,500 people from more than 20 villages are now sheltering in the forests because of the raids.
PDF have been formed in many cities and towns nationwide in response to the regime’s lethal crackdowns on anti-coup protesters.
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