Judge Among 30-Plus Myanmar Junta Casualties in Two Days of Resistance Attacks
By The Irrawaddy 7 October 2022
More than 30 regime forces including a junta-appointed judge were reportedly killed or injured in the last two days as People’s Defense Force (PDF) groups and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) continued to attack regime targets in Karen, Chin and Shan states and Sagaing, Magwe and Tanintharyi regions.
The Irrawaddy has rounded up the following reports of significant attacks by PDFs and EAOs:
Fierce clashes continue in Karen State
Intense clashes continued to occur in Myawaddy Township, Karen State on Thursday when Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and allied resistance forces attacked junta forces of three military battalions attempting to raid the Lukhoe area, in territory of KNLA Brigade 6.
The combined resistance forces conducted artillery shelling and drone strikes to help their ground fighters, said Cobra Column, which joined the attack.
A junta soldier was injured seriously while a resistance fighter suffered minor injuries.
On the same day, another junta soldier was confirmed killed when snipers of the KNLA ambushed regime forces of Light Infantry Battalion 104, which has been attempting to raid the area of Taung Ni Village in the township for weeks.
Junta soldiers killed in artillery strike in Karen
A regime soldier was killed and four others injured on Wednesday when forces of the KNLA and allied resistance group Red Dragon Column attacked the Myanmar military’s Infantry Battalion 284 in Kyain Seikgyi Township, Karen State with 79-mm mortar shells, the resistance group said on Thursday.
KIA, PDFs clash with junta forces in Sagaing
A series of intense firefights—which have prompted the junta to call in air strikes—have been going on between regime forces and combined forces of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and allied PDF groups in Banmauk Township, Sagaing Region since Tuesday, said Banmauk Revolution (BR), the media wing of township PDF groups.
On Thursday morning, clashes continued to erupt in the township and the junta used three fighter jets to bomb resistance forces at 12:30 p.m. On that afternoon, two other fighter jets also bombed the clash areas, the BR said.
Regime forces burned houses in Kyaukai Village in the township on Wednesday after a clash with the KIA and PDFs.
On Tuesday morning, a clash broke out near Kyauk Mae Taung Village and the junta used fighter jets to attack resistance fighters.
On that night, the KIA and PDF fighters raided the township police station in the town of Banmauk, reportedly injuring 14 junta police officers.
Military transport vehicles mined in Sagaing
Chaung-U Revolution Army (CRA) claimed to have used land mines to ambush container vehicles that were reportedly transporting regime forces of military Division 33 from Sagaing Township to Monywa, Sagaing Region on Thursday afternoon while they were passing through Chaung-U Township.
In the ambush, two vehicles were hit by the blasts, the group said.
Following the mine ambushes, a shootout broke out between the resistance fighters and the regime ambush patrols. Resistance fighters escaped from the clash without any casualties. However, the military’s casualties are unknown.
Judge of township court assassinated in northern Shan State
U Yarzar Min Soe, the junta-appointed judge of Muse Township’s court in northern Shan State, was killed by unknown gunmen in the town of Muse on Thursday as he was returning home from the court in a vehicle.
A video shows the victim in a vehicle being shot by a gunman at close range while he was stopped at a place in the town.
Nine junta soldiers killed in PDF ambush in Magwe
Resistance fighters of the MG 6 Guerrilla group attacking military motorboats on the Irrawaddy River in Yesagyo Township on Wednesday. / Video: MG 6 Guerrilla
Nine junta soldiers were killed and two others injured on Wednesday when a resistance group, MG-6 Guerrilla from Myingyan Township Mandalay Region, ambushed military motorboats transporting food for the regime forces stationed in an island village on the Irrawaddy River in Yesagyo Township, Magwe Region, the PDF group said on Thursday.
Video shows resistance fighters including snipers attacking the motorboats. After the ambush, regime forces responded with heavy explosives, but all PDF fighters escaped from the area, the guerrilla group said.
Military checkpoint bombed by PDF drone in Magwe
Two Pyu Saw Htee pro-regime militia members were injured on the border of Myaing and Pakokku townships in Magwe Region on Wednesday when Myaing-PDF drones dropped three rifle grenades targeting a military checkpoint between two villages.
PDF aerial video shows regime forces fleeing after being bombed by a drone.
Junta battalion raided in Chin State
Many junta soldiers were believed killed when ethnic Chin resistance fighters of Chin Defense Force-Mindat attacked an infantry battalion from close range in Mindat Township, Chin State on Wednesday morning, the group claimed.
After the attack, regime forces arbitrarily bombarded villages nearby using more than 20 artillery shells. A house was destroyed in the shelling.
Military regime pavilion bombed in Dawei
As a warning attack, the resistance group Guerrilla Dawei claimed that on Wednesday evening it bombed a pavilion built by the military regime on a strand in the town of Dawei in Tanintharyi Region for the Thidingyut Festival, using a remote-controlled bomb.
The resistance group said the military regime is using civilians as human shields to hold fake festivals. In order to avoid harming civilians, the group bombed the junta’s pavilion before the festival days, it said.
It appealed to civilians to avoid regime forces, and regime-controlled government departments and festivities, due to potential attacks.
