Civilian resistance fighters clashed with around 100 junta troops on Wednesday in Mingin Township, Sagaing Region, according to the township People’s Defense Force (PDF).
The clash followed regime raids on five villages in Mingin on Tuesday. Heavy rain forced the Mingin-PDF to wait until Wednesday before confronting the junta soldiers, said the leader of the Mingin-PDF.
“We were waiting [on Tuesday] because we knew that they were coming. They came and raided villages. But it rained and we only have traditional hunting rifles that don’t work in the rain,” he said.
Wednesday’s fighting lasted for around 45 minutes and one civilian resistance fighter was injured by junta shelling, added the Mingin-PDF commander.
“We were upset when we saw the damage they [junta forces] had done to those villages, and we decided to chase and fight them at the risk of our lives,” said a Mingin-PDF fighter.
Over 3,000 people were forced to flee their villages following the junta raids on Tuesday.
Since September, the military regime has brought in troop reinforcements and extra weapons to Sagaing Region, launching attacks on areas where civilian armed resistance is strong.
Junta soldiers have raided villages in several Sagaing townships including Kani, Yinmabin, Pale, Myaung, Tabayin, Taze and Mingin. Civilians have been killed or detained, and many houses looted and burned down during the raids.
Dozens of regime troops have reportedly been killed in ambushes and mine attacks carried out by local PDF’s. vv
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