Myanmar’s junta forces have retreated from Moebye in Pekon Township, southern Shan State, after reportedly suffering heavy losses during four days of attacks.
Clashes broke out in Moebye last Thursday when resistance groups and ethnic armed organizations, including the Karenni National Defense Force (KNDF) and the Karenni Army, attacked approximately 300 regime troops raiding the town.
An estimated 85 regime soldiers were reportedly killed, despite regular indiscriminate junta aerial and artillery strikes.
A large haul of weapons and ammunition was purportedly seized by the resistance groups.
On Monday morning, regime forces deployed around a church retreated to their former base near Hwari Suplai village, according to the KNDF and Moebye People’s Defense Force.
Retreating junta soldiers left numerous landmines around the church, which were defused by resistance groups on Monday. They seized large amounts of junta ammunition left in the church, the groups said.
“Fighter jets bombed us like rain but their foot soldiers are weak,” a KNDF spokesman told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday. “We are ready to break any junta offensive.”
During the fighting, two resistance fighters and an eight-year-old were killed and more than 50 resistance troops were injured and over 100 buildings destroyed in regime bombardments.
Around 5,000 Moebye residents fled their homes and resistance groups urged them not to come back due to the risk of more clashes and the danger of landmines.
The junta is facing repeated attacks across the country.
