The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), an armed wing of the Karen National Union (KNU), and its allies on Wednesday reportedly defeated around 72 Myanmar junta reinforcements in Myawaddy Township, Karen State.
Since Tuesday evening, the resistance groups blocked and attacked the unit near Sone Si Myaing in Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) territory on the Thai border.
The reinforcements from the junta’s major nearby Wal Lay base were being sent to defend the Thay Baw Boe camp, which is under attack by the KNLA. The reinforcements passed through Thai territory to reach Sone Si Myaing.
Videos on social media showed regime troops passing through a Thai village while heading to Thay Baw Boe.
On Wednesday, several regime troops were killed and others fled the fighting, while 30 were detained by resistance forces, the groups said.
“We have detained 30 alive and seized weapons and ammunition. Our forces are still clearing the area,” a resistance source told The Irrawaddy.
After the defeat, junta fighter jets reportedly bombed the clash sites, including Sone Si Myaing village, where the DKBA headquarters are located.
The residents of five villages have been displaced into Thailand by the recent fighting.
Thay Baw Boe is a former KNU base which was seized by the previous military regime over 30 years ago. The KNU and its allies retook the base in May 2022 but retreated after heavy junta airstrikes.
The KNLA and another armed wing of the KNU, the Karen National Defense Organization, seized the junta’s Bledo base on the Thai border in Kawkareik Township, Karen State, last Friday.
On May 19, Karen anti-regime groups retook Maw Phoe Kay, a former KNU base that was seized by General Ne Win’s forces in 1981.
Maw Phoe Kay is the eighth junta base seized by the KNU and its allies in territory claimed by Brigade 7.
The KNU and its allies retook Htee Hkee, a trade hub on the Thai border in territory claimed by KNU Brigade 4, in Dawei Township, Tanintharyi Region, after seizing the last junta base this month.
Since the 2021 coup, the KNU has trained and armed several thousand anti-regime activists and helped the civilian National Unity Government with the formation of People’s Defense Forces.
The KNU and its allies are fighting the regime in Karen and Mon states and Tanintharyi and Bago regions, and have attacked regime targets in the capital, Naypyitaw.
