Fighting has flared up again in Nawnghkio Township in northern Shan State as well as Mandalay Region’s Madaya and Thabeikkyin townships after large numbers of junta troops launched offensives to recapture them.
Mandalay People’s Defense Force (MDY-PDF) information officer Ko Osmond told The Irrawaddy that the regime has been reinforcing positions in those townships, which are largely controlled by either the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) or the Mandalay People’s Defense Force (MDY-PDF) and their allies.
The TNLA and MDY-PDF for their part launched a major offensive Wednesday against northern Shan State’s Pyin Oo Lwin and Taung Hkam, which form a triangle with Nawngkhio, residents said.
Ko Osmond declined to comment on the alleged offensive but advised locals to keep informed about military developments. “Fighting has resumed in Madaya, Nawnghkio and Thabeikkyin townships,” he said. “We urge people to inquire if it is safe before traveling.”
On Tuesday, the MDY-PDF banned travel along the Madaya-Singu-Thabeikkyin road due to the latest flare-up.
The regime earlier recaptured western Madaya, which is an hour’s drive from Mandalay city and the Myanmar military’s Central Command, following a large-scale offensive supported by warplanes.
Military defector Zin Yaw, a former captain, said the regime is trying to gain control over any areas from where anti-regime groups can threaten Pyin Oo Lwin, which houses the regime’s military academies, and Mandalay. The regime has dispatched reinforcements from Pyin Oo Lwin to Gangaw village 25 km away.
“The regime wants to retake Gangaw and Taung Hkam,” he said. “The Central Command is also trying to regain complete control of the whole of Madaya.”
The military is raiding the area partly because junta boss Min Aung Hlaing is poised to attend a graduation ceremony at the Defense Services Academy in Pyin Oo Lwin in January, Zin Yaw speculated.
The junta has been sending reinforcements to Taung Hkam, where fighting has been raging for months, said a resident monitoring the military situation in northern Shan State. Taung Hkam, which sits on Road 41 en route to Nawngkhio junction, is crucial for the regime if it wants prevent anti-regime groups from advancing on Pyin Oo Lwin.
Fighting resumed in Taung Hkam when junta troops launched their offensive in the third week of November, the TNLA said, and the regime has been sending reinforcements via Lawksawk as well as airlifting weapons and ammunition.
But the TNLA has not yet responded to The Irrawaddy’s questions about the latest fighting in Nawnghkio.
Under pressure from China, the group on Monday signaled readiness to engage in talks with the regime.
