At least 87 Myanmar junta forces including pro-regime militia members, in addition to two resistance fighters, were killed in the last three days as People’s Defense Force groups (PDFs) escalated their attacks on regime targets across the country.
In one case, two junta jet fighters bombed a crowd of civilians in a reprisal attack after the regime suffered heavy losses in clashes with resistance forces in upper Sagaing Region.
Incidents were reported in Sagaing, Mandalay, Magwe and Bago regions and Mon State.
The Irrawaddy has collected the following reports of significant attacks from the PDFs.
Some military casualty figures could not be independently verified.
Officers among 40 regime forces killed in fierce Bago clashes
At least 40 regime forces including three army officers were killed in Yedashe Township, Bago Region when two days of intense clashes broke out between a military detachment and combined PDF groups, according to Bago Region PDF.
The fighting started on Monday evening when resistance forces of Taungoo District Battalion 3501 and combined PDF groups used land mines to ambush 100 junta troops who were moving through a forest to search for and attack resistance bases. After suffering casualties, the regime forces withdrew from the area.
Three more intense clashes broke out in the area on Tuesday when the PDF groups reinforced by allied forces attacked 150 regime soldiers attempting to raid the area again, said Bago Region PDF.
In the clashes, a PDF fighter was also killed and one injured. Some military equipment was seized, the PDF group said. However, The Irrawaddy was unable to independently verify the military casualties.
Junta suffers heavy losses in resistance attacks in upper Sagaing
At least 20 regime forces are believed to have been killed and injured in intense clashes with combined resistance groups on Wednesday and Thursday, Katha-PDF told The Irrawaddy.
On Wednesday, combined troops from Katha-PDF, Myohla PDF and the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF) attacked a military detachment of 72 troops from military Infantry Battalion 77 who were heading to Moetar Village.
After sustaining heavy losses, two junta fighter jets bombed the resistance forces and Moetar Village, which is several kilometers away from the clash site.
One of the bombs hit a crowd of residents attending a donation ceremony in the village. The air strikes killed eight civilians and injured some 30 villagers, according to local sources. Some houses were burned.
Intense fighting continued in the area for the whole day on Thursday.
Eight regime forces killed in PDF attacks in Sagaing
At least eight regime soldiers including pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia members were killed in Kanbalu Township, Sagaing Region on Tuesday when local PDF groups jointly attacked military detachments and bases, said Kyunhla Activists Group, the media wing of the local resistance groups.
On Tuesday afternoon, at least five PDF groups started attacking 20 regime forces stationed at Nyaung Zin Lay Village with heavy explosives.
Using land mines and firearms, the groups also ambushed 60 military reinforcements from Htan Kone Village heading to Naung Zin Lay Village.
During the clash, the PDF forces used a drone to drop bombs on the regime forces. There were no PDF casualties in the fighting.
Junta forces burning village bombed in Sagaing
Local resistance group Nayla Satkyar-Shwebo PDF claimed it and another PDF group used 24 improvised mortar rounds to bomb regime forces torching houses in Tayawtaw Village in Shwebo Township, Sagaing Region on Tuesday.
Military casualties were unknown.
Junta forces bombed by PDF drone in Magwe
Regime forces flee after being bombed by a PDF drone in Yesagyo on Thursday. / Yesagyo-PDF
Some junta soldiers are believed to have been killed or injured in Yesagyo Township, Magwe Region on Thursday when Yesagyo-PDF used drones to drop bombs on 15 junta sentries near a village, the PDF group said.
Regime forces were bombed again by the PDF drone while they were trying to move the bodies of killed or injured soldiers, the PDF group told the media.
An aerial video shot by Yesagyo-PDF shows regime forces fleeing after a bomb explodes near them.
Police outpost attacked in Magwe
A junta police officer was killed and some others injured in Pauk Township, Magwe Region on Wednesday when combined PDF groups attacked a police outpost in Zeepyar Village, according to local media reports citing resistance groups.
Fifteen junta troops killed in PDF ambush in Mandalay
At least 15 regime forces were reportedly killed in Nganzun Township, Mandalay Region on Tuesday when five PDF groups jointly used land mines to ambush regime forces on motorbikes and vehicles, said Zarmani Guerrilla Force, which took part in the ambushes.
Regime forces on three vehicles and 10 motorbikes were mined in three locations while they were returning to their base after looting and burning houses in Japankyun Village in the township, the PDF group claimed.
In the attack, 20 other regime forces were also injured, the PDF group said, citing resident witnesses.
After being ambushed, angry soldiers arrested people nearby and killed a civilian, according to the PDF group.
PDF fighter killed in junta raid in Mandalay
Nagarni Guerrilla Force-Madaya members said their comrade Maung Ye Zin Tun, 17, was killed during a regime raid on Htone Bo Village and their camp in Madaya Township, Mandalay Region on Tuesday.
Regime forces used heavy explosives to raid Htone Bo Village. Two other PDF fighters were injured while trying to repulse the junta raid.
Regime forces also burned down 20 houses and killed a 40-year-old resident of the village. Regime forces retreated from the village after facing a coordinated attack from several PDF groups from Mandalay and two townships in neighboring Sagaing Region, Nagarni Guerrilla Force said.
Junta police outpost raided in Mon
Local resistance group Ye Guerrilla Force claimed to have killed three junta policemen and injured five others as they raided a police outpost in a village in Thanphyu Zayat Township, Mon State on Wednesday morning.
There were no resistance casualties.
