A total of 76 Myanmar junta soldiers were confirmed killed and many others injured in nine clashes and eight drone strikes as part of the anti-regime Operation Kanaung in Mandalay Region and northern Shan State between July 15 and Sept. 10, People’s Defense Force (Mandalay) claimed on Monday.
The PDF group, an armed wing of the civilian National Unity Government (NUG), said it implemented the operation alongside the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the armed wing of the ethnic revolutionary group the Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF).
During the incidents, two resistance fighters of PDF (Mandalay) lost their lives.
In the first mission conducted as part of Operation Kanaung, the joint resistance forces used rocket bombs to attack the headquarters of the military’s Air Guard Battalion and raided the sentry unit of the military base in Madaya Township, Mandalay Region on July 15, the PDF group said.
The resistance forces also triggered land mines to ambush a military convoy of six vehicles transporting reinforcements to the military base that was being raided by the resistance group. In the ambush 19 junta troops including a captain were killed and many others injured, while one of the vehicles was totally destroyed.
A PDF fighter also died in the incident.
On Aug. 4, the combined resistance groups ambushed a military convoy in Nawngkhio Township, northern Shan State, killing all 15 regime forces, including an officer, in one of the military vehicles. Many weapons and some ammunition were also seized from the vehicle.
A video shows resistance members dragging the bodies of dead soldiers from the military vehicle, which crashed after running off the road.
The resistance forces later triggered land mines to ambush another military unit of 50 troops that had been chasing the resistance forces in Nawngkhio. Another 10 soldiers including the head of the unit were killed and six others suffered injuries.
After sustaining heavy losses in the ambush, the regime troops fired flare guns to call in reinforcements, said the PDF group.
An intense clash broke out in the township on Sept. 7 after regime forces attempted to block and raid the resistance-held area starting the previous evening. The resistance forces blocked and attacked the regime forces with firearms and drone bombs. The junta troops were supported by artillery strikes from other military units nearby.
The PDF groups said they witnessed six soldiers killed in a shootout and another three killed by resistance drone strikes. After suffering losses, the regime unit retreated from the clash site, using children living nearby as human shields.
On Sept. 8, the resistance group also raided and occupied a military outpost of 50 junta troops located on a hill near Pyin Oo Lwin-Mogok Road in Mandalay Region. Thirteen junta troops were confirmed killed and six injured.
A resistance fighter died in the clash.
During the raid, five bodies of killed junta soldiers were found and many weapons and some ammunition was seized, said the Mandalay resistance group.
However, The Irrawaddy was unable to independently confirm the PDF group’s claims of military casualties.
The PDF groups said their anti-regime Operation Kanaung is ongoing, and tensions remained high as they will have to confront 400 more regime combat forces from four battalions.
Meanwhile, the TNLA has been fighting against regime forces in Muse and Kutkai townships in northern Shan State and Mogok in upper Mandalay Region since July 23.
The Myanmar junta is facing daily attacks from PDFs and ethnic armed organizations across the entire country, except in Rakhine State, where the ethnic rebel group the Arakan Army (AA) agreed to a temporary ceasefire with the regime last November.
