Dozens of Myanmar Junta Forces, Officials Killed in Three Days of Resistance Attacks
By The Irrawaddy 3 February 2023
At least 27 Myanmar junta forces including junta-appointed administrators and pro-regime militia members as well as three resistance fighters were killed in the last three days as People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) escalated their attacks on regime targets across the country.
In one case, PDF groups occupied a town in Upper Myanmar.
Incidents were reported in Sagaing, Mandalay, Magwe, Bago and Tanintharyi regions and Mon and Kachin states.
The Irrawaddy has collected the following reports of significant attacks from PDFs.
Some military casualties could not be independently verified.
Town occupied by PDF groups in Sagaing
Homalin-PDF claimed it and other PDF groups managed to occupy the town of Shwe Pyi Aye in Homalin Township, upper Sagaing Region after a clash with regime forces on Wednesday.
During the raid on the town, many regime forces were killed. There were no PDF casualties despite the regime conducting air strikes in an attempt to reoccupy the town.
The resistance groups also warned people to be alert due to the potential for heavy clashes in the area.
Seven junta troops killed in PDF ambushes in Sagaing
Six regime forces were killed in Sagaing Township, Sagaing Region on Thursday when four PDF groups used land mines to ambush a military vehicle near a village, said Tawgyi Mwaybwae group, which joined the attack.
The PDF group also claimed its sniper managed to kill a soldier during its ambush of a military detachment in Madaya Township, Mandalay Region on Wednesday. It also used land mines to ambush two vehicles transporting regime forces in the township.
Police station attacked in Sagaing
Combined resistance forces attack a police station in the town of Myinmu on Wednesday. / Kyaukse Nagarni Guerrilla Force
Local resistance group Moe Nyo Revolution Force claimed it and two other PDF groups used firearms and heavy explosives to attack the police station in the town of Myinmu in Sagaing Region on Wednesday.
Regime police responded with firearms. Police casualties were unknown.
Three PDF fighters killed in clash in Sagaing
Resistance group Black Wolf Army said it lost three of its forces during a clash with a military detachment near a village in Shwebo Township, Sagaing Region on Wednesday.
Junta-appointed township administrator killed in Mon
PDF group Special Operation Force claimed it assassinated U Ko Ko Lay, the junta-appointed administrator for Paung Township, Mon State on Wednesday.
The victim was a pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia leader and a representative of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).
Following the military coup, the victim masterminded operations to arrest anti-regime activists and the killing of PDF forces and their family members in the township.
The administrator was also planning to arrest people who joined the nationwide silent strikes on Wednesday.
A PDF video shows the administrator being shot repeatedly by a gunman until he dies.
Junta-appointed administrator and pro-regime militia leader assassinated in Bago
Bago Region PDF claimed its member PDFs assassinated a junta-appointed village administrator and a pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia leader in Phyuu and Htantapin townships in Bago Region on Thursday and Wednesday.
The militia leader, Myin Thein, was chased and shot dead by Htantapin-PDF while he was attempting to flee into a military base in Htantapin Township on Thursday. PDF assassins escaped without casualties despite being fired upon by regime forces.
The junta-allied militia leader confiscated many plots of land belonging to civilians. The victim was also notorious for asking the junta to jail innocent civilians, the PDF group said.
On Wednesday, Phyuu-PDF killed junta-appointed Mya Paegu Village administrator Nyunt Win in the township. The administrator often accompanied military detachments and provide the junta with information about the movements of revolutionary organizations.
Regime forces in Bago hit by mines while removing protest banners
Two regime soldiers were seriously injured in Moe Nyo Township, Bago Region on Monday when Moe Nyo-PDF used mines to attack regime forces removing a vinyl sheet bearing slogans condemning the junta chief and the regime’s sham election near a village, said Bago Region PDF.
Pro-regime militia group attacked in Magwe
Two pro-regime militia members were killed and four others including the chief of the regime-run township electricity department were injured in Kanma Township, Magwe Region on Wednesday when PDF fighters attacked the militia forces on two vehicles, said Myaing-PDF, which conducted the attack.
The military group were returning from gambling and attacked while attempting to hit the resistance forces with their vehicles at a PDF checkpoint.
The PDF group later used a drone to drop bombs on regime forces trying to retrieve the vehicles. After being bombed, the regime forces abandoned the vehicles and fled.
Police outpost bombed by PDF drone in Magwe
Yesagyo-PDF said it used a drone to bomb a police outpost in Pakhan Nge Village in Yesagyo Township, Magwe Region on Wednesday.
During the mission, they lost a drone worth 8 million kyats (about US$2,800 at the unofficial rate).
Military reinforcements ambushed with land mines in Mandalay
Many regime forces are thought to have been killed or injured in Thabeikkyin Township, Mandalay Region on Thursday when two PDF groups used land mines to ambush two military vehicles carrying reinforcements from two locations near the town of Tagaung, said Wild Elephant Guerrilla Force, which joined the attack.
The military vehicles were traveling to a military checkpoint in nearby Tingyaing Township, which is currently the target of attacks by Katha District PDF groups.
The two PDF groups also used a drone to drop a bomb on 15 more regime soldiers performing security duty on a road to protect the two vehicles from PDF ambushes, said the resistance group.
Six regime forces killed in PDF drone strikes in Mandalay
A PDF drone drops bombs on regime targets in Madaya Township on Wednesday. / Unicorn Guerrilla Force
Four junta soldiers and two pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia members were killed in Madaya Township, Mandalay Region on Wednesday when seven PDF groups used drones to drop bombs on a military detachment near Hintha Village, claimed Unicorn Guerrilla Forces, which joined the attack.
The PDF’s video shows a bomb dropped by a drone exploding near regime forces.
Eight regime forces killed in PDF land mine ambush in Tanintharyi
At least eight regime troops were killed and six injured in Kawthaung Township, Tanintharyi Region on Wednesday afternoon when Kawthaung-PDF used land mines to ambush two military vehicles carrying 60 troops near a bridge, claimed the PDF group.
The military vehicles were traveling to Maryan Village in Khamaukgyi town, where a deputy pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia leader, U San Tin, was assassinated by Kawthaung-PDF that morning.
The PDF group also seized two M16 rifles, ammunition and knives from the slain militia leader.
Security police battalion bombed in Kachin State’s capital
Security Police Battalion 30 was bombed in Kachin State’s capital Myitkyina early on Thursday, according to local Kachin media citing residents near the incident.
Three bombs exploded in the compound of the police battalion, but casualties were unknown.
