Around 60 Myanmar Junta Troops Killed in Fighting With Resistance Forces
By The Irrawaddy 30 September 2021
Around 60 junta soldiers and six civilian resistance fighters were reportedly killed during fighting in Sagaing and Magwe regions and Kayah State on Wednesday.
On Wednesday morning, a combined force of Karenni civilian resistance fighters from Loikaw and Demoso townships in Kayah State and Moebye and Pekon townships in neighboring Shan State and the Karenni Army, the armed wing of Karenni Nationalities Progressive Party, ambushed a 40-vehicle military convoy at Kone Thar village near the Kayah capital, Loikaw.
During 10 hours of fighting, an estimated 30 junta soldiers were killed and around 30 injured while five of the attackers were killed, according to the Karenni resistance forces.
The Karenni Nationalities Defense Force said it destroyed a military vehicle carrying weapons.
The Moebye People’s Defense Force (PDF) in Shan State said it attacked Battalion 422, which was using artillery against resistance forces near Kone Thar village, in an attempt to allow the trapped convoy to escape.
In the afternoon, the Pekon PDF attacked a junta headquarters in the township which was firing artillery at villages.
Karenni resistance against the junta started in late May in Kayah and Shan states after regime forces escalated attacks on peaceful anti-regime protesters across the country.
Fierce fighting is occurring in Bawlakhe, Demoso, Hpruso and Loikaw townships in Kayah State and Moebye, Pekon and Pinlaung township in southern Shan State.
The junta has deployed hundreds of reinforcements from other states and regions and has been indiscriminately firing artillery at villages.
It is also laying landmines in residential areas while conducting raids in Kayah State.
More than 25 junta soldiers were killed in Gangaw Township, Magwe Region, on Wednesday when resistance forces and the Chin National Army from neighboring Chin State ambushed around 100 junta troops. The soldiers were planning to raid villages in the township, a resistance fighter told The Irrawaddy on Thursday.
In retaliation, junta troops burned down eight Hnan Khar village houses in the township in a third attack on the village.
More than 50 houses in the village were torched by junta soldiers during raids on Sept 10 and 13.
The Kani PDF attacked military boats carrying food, weapons and around 200 troops on the Chindwin River in the Sagaing Region township on Wednesday.
The vessels heading north from Monywa were attacked four times, according to the Kani PDF.
The group reported heavy military casualties, the death of one PDF member and six injuries.
A member of the Kani PDF told The Irrawaddy that heavy homemade weapons were successfully used against the military vessels.
The number of military casualties is unknown.
Fighting has increased across Myanmar since Sept 7 when the parallel National Unity Government (NUG) declared its people’s war against the junta.
The regime has since escalated inspections, arrests, raids and violence, including burning down and bombarding residential areas, especially in Sagaing and Magwe regions and Chin and Kayah states.
Between Sept 21 and 27, 224 junta soldiers were killed and 38 wounded during 211 incidents, including 17 attacks by ethnic armed groups and 41 by civilian resistance forces, according to the NUG.
Almost 60 civilians were killed and 28 wounded during the incidents, including 52 acts of junta violence.
Rakhine State is the only area of Myanmar where the junta is not facing regular attacks.
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