The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and its allies seized Border Guard Force Battalion (BGF) 1002 headquarters in Pangwa near the Chinese border in Chipwi Township, Kachin State at around 12:45 pm on Tuesday, according to a KIA statement and frontline sources.
“BGF battalion 1002, located in Lu Pyi village about 10 kilometers from Pangwa, is one of the most important bases of Myanmar army and BGF troops protecting Pangwa,” said the KIA statement.
Pangwa is a rare earth mining hub located 64 kilometers east of Chipwi town on the border with China.
Situated 121 km northeast of the Kachin State capital Myitkyina, Chipwi Township is in territory claimed by the New Democratic Army Kachin (NDA-K), a junta-aligned Border Guard Force led by warlord Zahkung Ting Ying. This area, known as Kachin Special Region 1, encompasses both Chipwi and Pangwa, where the NDA-K controls numerous rare-earth mines.
On June 7, Zahkung Ting Ying issued a military order declaring the KIA and PDFs as enemies and vowing action against them if they entered his territory.
After the KIA and allied resistance forces took control of Chipwi, junta fighter jets reportedly dropped over 40 bombs on the town on Sunday night, resulting in civilian deaths.
Since capturing Chipwi town in late September and Hsawlaw in early October, the KIA has been launching attacks on junta bases, militia groups and BGF headquarters along the route between Chipwi and Pangwa.
The KIA launched its assault on the BGF battalion 1002 base at Lu Pi village in the Pangwa border trade zone on Oct. 9. The BGF base fell after a week of fighting, despite junta air support, said a KIA official.
“We captured numerous junta personnel along with piles of weapons and ammunition from the BGF base. We will continue attacking the remaining junta bases in Pangwa,” he said.
BGF 1002 is one of three battalions transformed from the New Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K) in 2009. The NDA-K was founded by Zahkung Ting Ying and other officers who split from the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), the KIA’s political wing, in 1989.
BGF battalions 1001 and 1003 are stationed in Pangwa and Waingmaw Township, respectively. The KIA official said Pangwa is still being guarded by junta troops from Infantry Battalion 29, plus BGF battalions 1001 and 1003.
The week-long battle and junta airstrikes have forced hundreds of Pangwa residents to flee across the border to China.
Kachin-based media outlets also report that the BGF is forcibly recruiting residents to serve as porters during the conflict.
The KIA is coordinating with other resistance groups, including the People’s Defense Force under the National Unity Government, in an anti-junta offensive across Kachin State, upper parts of Sagaing Region and northern Shan State.
The KIA and allies have seized Momauk, Lwelgel, Sumprabum, Sadone, Injangyang, Sinbo, Myo Hla, Myo Thit, Dawthponeyan and Chipwi in Kachin State and Mabein in northern Shan State.
In Kachin State, the KIA and joint revolutionary forces have captured over 220 military junta bases and outposts since March.
BGF 1002, led by Zahkung Ting Ying, a notorious militia leader with close business ties to the junta, is involved in large-scale rare earth production in Pangwa, collaborating with Chinese miners. The mining has caused significant environmental damage, leading to health problems for local residents, as well as landslides and flooding.
