The ethnic Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and its allies are attacking junta positions in the district capital of Bhamo on the Irrawaddy River after seizing neighboring Mansi Township on Wednesday.
Mansi is only about 17 km from Bhamo town on Road 31, which winds from the southern Kachin State border to the river.
The KIA captured all three battalion headquarters in Mansi on Wednesday morning: Light Infantry Battalion 319, Light Infantry Battalion 601, and Artillery Battalion 523.
“There are no more military bases in Mansi now,” KIA spokesman Colonel Naw Bu said. “We’re besieging major bases in Bhamo, and our joint troops have already penetrated some wards, but we haven’t got a foothold yet. At present, we can only hit and retreat.”
The district capital is now completely encircled as the KIA and its allies have also seized Momauk, on the leg of Road 31 leading away from Bhamo toward the east, and Sinkhin Bridge downriver toward the west.
The regime has been forced to airlift ammunition and food to its troops.
The KIA and allies launched their onslaught on Mansi and Bhamo on Dec. 4. Light Infantry Battalion 319 commander Colonel Aung Nyein Chan was killed in the last week of December.
On Wednesday, the commander of Light Infantry Battalion 601 was also killed. Many junta soldiers surrendered, leading to the seizure of large piles of weapons and ammunition, according to local monitors Banmaw Scout Team.
But Col. Naw Bu said he has no details of the number of soldiers captured or weapons seized.
Some junta soldiers reportedly fled to Bhamo town during Wednesday’s battle.
Fighting there is particularly fierce around the 21st Military Operations Command and airport, Tar Mong Lone ward, Infantry Battalion 47, and the university. The regime is conducting daily airstrikes, artillery bombardments, and drone bombings, the KIA spokesman added.
Most civil servants have fled as the bombardments are inflicting civilian casualties, according to a charity worker, but some residents have been trapped since before Christmas.
“People continue to flee the town,” he said. “A couple of days ago, a man was injured by artillery shrapnel, and we transported him to the jetty to go to Mandalay for medical treatment. We’re also taking fleeing civilians to the jetty in our ambulances,” he said.
But some social media accounts have shared videos that show shops in some Bhamo wards operating as normal as KIA troops patrol the streets.
