An estimated 2,380 Myanmar junta soldiers were killed and around 600 wounded during the last month, according to the parallel National Unity Government.
Between Dec. 7 and Jan. 6, 1,077 blasts and attacks targeting junta forces were reported across the country, except in Rakhine State.
The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the reports or the junta casualty numbers. The regime was unavailable for comment.
The shadow home affairs ministry, which charts reports from resistance groups, the media and residents, said there could have been more attacks which went unreported.
The preceding month, only 788 incidents were reported with 2,117 regime troops killed and 682 injured.
Sagaing Region, where people’s defense forces (PDF) are most active, reported the most attacks in December with 246 ambushes and explosions.
Sagaing resistance groups claim their hit-and-run tactics and landmine ambushes are inflicting heavy losses on the junta. The regime’s air force has responded with airstrikes and by dropping reinforcements.
Sagaing Region reported the most attacks on regime forces in November, with 209 incidents.
In December, Karen State reported 244 incidents between the regime and PDFs and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the armed wing of the Karen National Union.
Fierce clashes occurred in mid-December after junta troops raided Lay Kay Kaw in Myawaddy Township near the Thai border. The regime claimed democracy activists and PDF members were hiding in the KNLA-controlled new town.
Intense fighting and junta airstrikes have since been reported with large numbers of junta soldiers, including commanders, reportedly killed. Several thousand civilians have fled to Thailand to avoid the fighting.
The state only reported 22 clashes in November.
After reporting 45 attacks and 173 explosions targeting regime forces in Yangon, the city has become the third most violent area of the country.
Several resistance groups in the commercial capital have urged residents to avoid junta forces and regime-controlled government offices as they may be attacked.
Yangon’s resistance groups reported 32 attacks and 118 blasts targeting regime forces in November.
The junta continues to commit atrocities, including arrests, using hostages, arbitrary killings, burning alive, mass killing, using civilian detainees as human shields, shelling residential areas, looting and burning houses and sexual violence, especially in Sagaing and Magwe regions and Chin, Shan, Kayah and Karen states.
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