The Mandalay People’s Defense Force (MDY PDF) claims to have killed at least 75 Myanmar junta forces and wounded 60 others during 10 days of intense fighting in northern Shan State from April 5-14.
Seven resistance fighters were killed in the clashes, the resistance group said.
The junta used at least 900 troops from its seven military battalions and pro-regime militia members, as well as three Russian-made aircraft, to attack PDF bases, MDY PDF said.
The clashes started on April 5 near the border between Mandalay Region’s Pwin Oo Lwin Township and Naung Cho Township in northern Shan State when the MDY PDF attacked regime forces in two vehicles as they approached Than Pho village.
Two junta soldiers were fatally shot during the clash and some PDF fighters were injured. Regime forces retaliated by shelling Than Pho village, killing two children and injuring three other residents.
Heavy fighting continued in the area on April 6 when a large force of junta foot soldiers launched another attack while junta artillery units used 60mm and 120 mm rounds to bomb the resistance bases, said MDY PDF.
The junta troops were forced to retreat after suffering heavy losses in resistance attacks. The following day, the commando unit of the MDY PDF raided regime artillery positions in the area.
On April 8, another heavy firefight broke out when regime forces again attempted to raid the PDF bases. Resistance forces counterattacked, pursuing the regime troops as they retreated before occupying a junta base.
The next morning, the resistance group and regime forces shelled each other with artillery rounds.
On April 10, a day-long clash erupted as junta forces tried twice to occupy the PDF bases. After facing losses on the ground, the regime again turned to air power, deploying a Russian-made MI 35 helicopter gunship and SU-30 and YAK-130 fighter jets to conduct 15 airstrikes against PDF forces.
According to eyewitness reports from PDF fighters, at least 35 soldiers were killed in the clashes, 30 of them when regime aircraft mistakenly attacked its own troops, the MDY PDF claimed.
Fierce clashes continued in the area until April 14. The junta sent in more troops and used the three aircraft in efforts to seize a PDF base in the area on Friday but were forced to retreat by resistance fighters, said MDY PDF.
Resistance fighters witnessed the bodies of regime soldiers being buried in the surrounding forest. Other junta casualties, both dead and injured, were transported out of the area.
The MDY PDF, which submitted video evidence, said they also buried bodies of regime troops abandoned on the battlefield.
The Irrawaddy has been unable to confirm the military casualties.
Clashes are currently being reported across the country almost daily as PDFs and Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) step up their attacks on regime targets amid an ongoing spate of junta atrocities.
