Myanmar Regime's Reinforcements to Strategic Outpost Attacked; Seven Killed
By Nora Aung 1 July 2022
The Karen National Defense Organization (KNDO) says it attacked Light Infantry Divisions 44 as it tried to reinforce the Myanmar junta’s Ukayit Hta outpost and killed at least seven soldiers and seized weapons in Myawaddy Township, Karen State, on Thursday.
The KNU’s armed wings, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and KNDO, and other resistance groups launched their assault on the outpost on June 26.
Facebook videos show dead and detained regime soldiers and seized weapons.
KNDO Captain Al Say Wah said on the video that they attacked and seized the weapons on Thursday morning.
“Send more fighters to Brigade 6. Look at the weapons that we seized. We only needed to fight for less than an hour for this,” said Capt Al Say Wah.
The KNDO seized rifles, machine guns, heavy weapons, bombs, shells, bullets and drone jammers, according to the video.
Another videos shows around seven soldiers’ bodies and about six others held captive.
A Karen resistance source said fighting and airstrikes are ongoing at the Ukayit Hta outpost.
Junta spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun told a press conference on Friday that the outpost is still in junta-control with the support of airstrikes and artillery.
On Thursday, regime jets entered Thai airspace. A video of a junta jet flying over a residential area of Phop Phra District in Tak Province on the Thai side of the border was widely viewed on Facebook in Thai.
Ukayit Hta is at a key road junction and is strategically important.
Almost 300 civilians from Waw Lay have fled across the Moei River to Thailand, according to a rescue team in the Thai border town of Mae Sot.
Karen resistance forces captured a military camp in Maw Khee in the KNLA’s Brigade 6 territory, known as Dooplaya District, on March 22. The KNLA and allied groups seized the junta’s Thay Baw Boe camp on May 18.
Earlier this month, the KNDO and it’s allies seized Waw Lay police station, where junta troops are based. Five regime soldiers were reportedly captured and nine detained resistance fighters were rescued.
