At Least 15 Myanmar Junta Forces Killed in Three Days of Resistance Attacks
By The Irrawaddy 13 January 2023
At least 15 Myanmar junta forces were killed in the last three days as People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) continued to attack regime targets across the country.
PDFs burned down a police outpost in Mon State and a junta-run immigration office in Upper Myanmar.
Incidents were reported in Sagaing, Magwe and Bago regions and Mon State.
The Irrawaddy has collected the following reports of significant attacks from PDFs.
Some military casualties could not be independently verified.
Regime forces ambushed while torching houses in Sagaing
Resistance group Black Wolf Army claimed it and another PDF group, Who Am I, jointly attacked regime forces torching houses and rice storage buildings in Kan Gyi Taw Village in Shwebo Township, Sagaing Region on Thursday.
After suffering casualties in the shootout, the regime forces retreated to their base in Hanlin Pyu Ancient City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
PDF fighters put out the fires set by the regime forces in the village, the PDF group said.
Six junta troops killed in PDF mine ambush in Sagaing
At least six regime forces were killed in Shwebo Township, Sagaing Region on Wednesday when six PDF groups used improvised land mines to ambush two 12-wheeled vehicles carrying soldiers, said resistance group Black Wolf Army, which took part in the ambushes.
After being tipped off by sources in the military, the PDF groups ambushed two vehicles carrying regime forces on the Shwebo-Kyauk Myaung road.
During the mine ambush, a vehicle was forced to stop and another escaped from the ambush site. The regime forces, including the bodies of killed or injured soldiers, were transported out of the area in a military vehicle, according to the resistance groups.
PDF groups also seized some military equipment and burned the damaged vehicle abandoned by the regime forces.
Three pro-regime militia members killed in PDF attacks in Sagaing
At least three pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia members were killed in Monywa Township, Sagaing Region on Thursday when three PDF groups used ten 40mm explosives to attack 50 militia members from the pro-regime village of Taw Pu, said Area 71 PDF Monywa, which was involved in the attack.
The militia groups were attacked while preparing to secretly transport rations on a road. All PDF fighters retreated from the area without any casualties despite the militia forces responding with heavy explosives.
A PDF video shows resistance fighters launching explosives.
Regime forces shelled in Sagaing
Some regime forces are believed to have been killed or injured in Kanbalu Township, Sagaing Region on Wednesday when PDF groups used 60mm and 120mm improvised mortar rounds to bombard regime forces stationed at Sabal Nanthar Village, claimed Kanbalu Underground Warriors, which conducted the attack.
Junta forces attacked in Sagaing
Resistance group True Arrow Special Task Force-Ayadaw claimed it and four other PDF groups used improvised mortar shells to attack regime forces in Wetlet Township, Sagaing Region on Tuesday night.
After being attacked, regime forces randomly responded with firearms. However, military casualties were unknown.
Two regime soldiers killed in PDF ambush in Sagaing
Two regime forces were confirmed killed in Sagaing Township, Sagaing Region on Thursday morning when Zero Guerrilla Force used mines to ambush regime forces on motorbikes in the township, said the PDF group.
The PDF group used three heavy mines to ambush regime forces on two motorbikes traveling between two villages while they were going out to buy breakfast for their senior officers at a military command base.
The PDF fighters retreated from the area without any casualties despite regime soldiers on another motorbike randomly opening fire.
Military battalion attacked in Bago
At least three junta soldiers were killed and some others injured in Htantapin Township, Bago Region on Wednesday when Taungoo District PDF Battalion 3501 used 30 M79 bombs to attack Military Battalion 73, said Bago Region PDF.
The group said it was part of Operation Nann Htike Aung launched against regime targets.
On the same day, Tharyarwaddy District PDF Battalion 3802 assassinated pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia member Kyaw Kyaw in Oakpho Township, Bago Region, according to Bago Region PDF.
The victim, who was a relative of a military member, was notorious for collaborating with regime forces to raid PDF camps and extort money from civilians, the PDF group claimed.
Police outpost seized, burned down in Mon State
Local resistance group Ye Guerrilla Force claimed to have seized and burned down the police outpost in the town of Lamine in Ye Township, Mon State early on Wednesday.
During their raid, policemen abandoned the outpost without defending it. At 6:30 a.m. on that morning, the resistance group continued to attack the regime camp at Kyotadar Village in the township. In the raid, some regime forces are believed to have been killed, the PDF group said.
All PDF fighters stopped fighting and retreated from the area when they were attacked with heavy explosives by military Infantry Battalion 588 nearby.
The resistance group also claimed to have killed police senior inspector Hlaing Min Thant in the town of Ye on that morning. The police officer was notorious for oppressing and extorting money from civilians.
Junta immigration office seized, burned down in Magwe
Resistance fighters of Yesagyo PDF torch the junta-run immigration office in the town of Yesagyo early on Thursday. / Yesagyo-PDF
Yesagyo-PDF group claimed that it and another PDF group jointly seized and burned down the junta-controlled Immigration Department office in the town of Yesagyo in Magwe Region early on Thursday.
The office was attacked for extorting money from civilians and preparing for the junta’s sham election.
The PDF group said it captured four immigration staff and released them later.
