Eight members of Mandalay civilian guerrilla groups were shot dead by Myanmar’s junta forces when two resistance hideouts were raided on Sunday, according to the regime-controlled media.
The alleged killings came amid a clampdown by Myanmar’s junta on civilian resistance forces in response to rising numbers of attacks on regime forces.
Junta-controlled newspapers said the security forces arrested a suspect involved in a “terrorist” attack and after his confession, they raided the People’s Defense Forces (PDF) in Maha Aung Myay and Pyigyitagon townships.
Fighting occurred at the Maha Aung Myay base on Sunday evening and seven PDF members were killed and a junta soldier suffered a minor bullet wound in his belly, the report stated.
The report claimed pistols, homemade mines and bullets were seized.
It said another PDF fighter was killed in Pyigyitagon base on Sunday night after throwing a homemade bomb at junta forces and running away.
The Irrawaddy could not independently verify any of the reports.
The junta accused the PDF of killing a pregnant nurse and her husband, a ward administrator and two other civilians in Mandalay on Sunday.
But residents said the nurse and her husband were shot dead by junta forces.
In contrast, the Generation Z Power resistance group issued a statement saying junta forces raided a PDF hideout and killed two resistance members and detained three others while one junta soldier was killed and another injured.
The group, which claims to have carried out many attacks and bombings in Mandalay, rejected the accusation of killing the nurse and her husband.
Mandalay’s resistance fighters claimed to have killed one corporal on December 13 and a captain on December 11 and attacked informers and military targets, including with bombs.
A Mandalay resident told The Irrawaddy: “There is no day without a killing and bombing taking place.”
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