Around 25 Myanmar junta personnel were killed in a raid on a police station in northern Yesagyo Township, Magwe Region, on Tuesday morning, according to resistance forces.
Four resistance groups from Magwe and Sagaing regions attacked the Ma Ou village base near the Chindwin River, a Yesagyo People’s Defense Force (PDF) spokesman told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday.
Around 30 junta soldiers and police were purportedly stationed in the village.
The groups used rocket-propelled grenades and eight drones dropped around 30 bombs, the PDF spokesman said.
After three hours of fighting resistance forces occupied the compound from the main building.
The resistance forces claimed to have killed seven soldiers and police officers, including Police Captain Myint Kyaw, the station’s commander.
PDF videos show bombs landing from drones during the attack.
A drone video shows resistance fighters who have run out of ammunition throwing stones.
Landmines were also used against troops at pro-junta Zee Taw village who were trying to reinforce the Ma Ou police station.
An estimated 17 soldiers were killed, the resistance groups claimed.
The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the reports.
“We prepared around 30 landmines before the raid. We knew junta reinforcements would come to help the Ma Ou police station,” said the PDF spokesman.
Resistance forces at Ma Ou retreated when Russian-made MI-35 helicopters attacked for an hour and other junta reinforcements arrived.
Weapons and an anti-drone gun were seized from the police station. Two resistance fighters suffered minor injuries and a drone was lost.
Yesagyo PDF said the resistance forces mainly rely on public funding to supply weapons and ammunition.
“The people are tired of supplying us. We would like the National Unity Government to supply us with proper weapons like machine guns and grenade launchers,” said the PDF spokesman. “Heavier weapons are needed to occupy junta bases.”
On November 2021, Yesagyo PDF and other resistance groups occupied the Ma Ou police station, killing two police officers.
