The Myanmar junta lost another town and more military bases as well as 36 soldiers in the last four days as People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) continued to attack regime forces across the country.
Ethnic Rakhine armed group the Arakan Army (AA) seized Paletwa town in neighboring Chin State, making the township a regime-free area.
Incidents were reported in Chin and Rakhine states and Magwe, Sagaing and Bago regions.
The Irrawaddy has collected the following reports of significant attacks from PDFs and EAOs.
Some military casualties could not be independently verified.
Arakan Army seizes Paletwa town in Chin State
Ethnic Rakhine armed force the Arakan Army (AA) claimed to have taken complete control of Paletwa town in Chin State on Sunday after attacking and seizing all 24 junta bases including strategic bases and military command headquarters there since Nov. 13 last year.
The AA also claimed to have killed 20 junta troops and seized their weapons and ammunition as its troops chased and attacked regime troops who were fleeing resistance attacks after abandoning their bases in Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State on Sunday.
The AA is a member of the Brotherhood Alliance of three ethnic armies, which is conducting the major anti-regime Operation 1027 across northern Shan State. It widened the operation into Rakhine State and Paletwa Township in neighboring Chin State on Nov. 13 last year.
Military checkpoint raided in Magwe’s Myaing
PDF fighters from joint resistance groups raid a military checkpoint at an entrance to Myaing Town, Magwe Region last Thursday. / Myaing PDF
At least two regime troops were killed in Myaing town, Magwe Region last Thursday when local resistance groups jointly attacked a military checkpoint at the entrance of the town, said Myaing PDF, which coordinated the raid.
All resistance members retreated from the clash site without casualties when junta reinforcements from the town arrived in the area.
Junta logistics convoy repeatedly ambushed in Magwe
Myaing PDF said it and six resistance groups used 50 drone bombs and many land mines to ambush a military logistics convoy for two days last Friday and Saturday in Myaing Township, Magwe Region, destroying two vehicles and injuring at least 10 regime forces.
The PDF’s aerial videos show a military vehicle and a truck that have crashed into a roadside after being hit by explosions. Another PDF photo shows a detached human finger among the debris at the ambush stie.
The convoy was ambushed between the pro-regime villages of Thayet Kan and Twin Ma while returning to Myaing after it was unable to advance due to resistance ambushes on the previous days.
PDF groups seized a damaged truck, while regime forces hauled away another military vehicle that was destroyed.
Regime forces killed in resistance ambush in Bago’s Minhla
Seven regime forces were killed and many injured in Minhla Township, Bago Region last Thursday when Minhla PDF ambushed a military unit heading to the Bago Yoma mountain range, said the PDF groups.
First, the resistance fighters triggered land mines to ambush the regime forces, forcing many soldiers to flee the site. The remaining junta troops at the ambush site then began shooting, said Minhla PDF.
After the clash, junta forces used ambulances to retrieve the bodies of dead soldiers, the PDF group said.
Military unit ambushed while raiding villages in Sagaing
Resistance groups conduct drone strikes on regime forces in a pro-regime village in Khin-U Township, Sagaing Region last Thursday. / Khin U Special Force Organization
At least seven regime forces were killed in Khin-U Township, Sagaing Region last Friday when seven PDF groups including drone units ambushed a military unit of 80 troops raiding villages and killing civilians in the west of the township, said Khin-U Special Force Organization, which joined the attacks.
On Friday morning, the military unit killed two male senior citizens during the raid on Myin Kya Village in the township. First, the PDF groups used drones to drop four bombs on a junta advance unit of 20 troops as they were leaving Myin Kya Village, killing two regime soldiers.
After the drone strikes, a 30-minute clash erupted between the military unit and the joint resistance forces, in which five more soldiers were killed.
After the clash, the military unit raided nearby Kyun Taw Gyi Village and killed two female civilians including a pregnant woman. The regime forces also burned 10 of Kyun Taw Gyi’s civilian houses, along with the bodies of comrades killed in the clash with the PDF groups.
On Saturday, the PDF groups also conducted drone strikes on 20 members of a pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia from the pro-military village of Pyin Htaung while they were stealing paddy from fields belonging to nearby villagers who had fled due to military raids.
Seven drones were used to burn the harvested paddy and to attack militia members who attempted to put out the fires, killing one of them, the PDF group said.
Junta forces bombed in Sagaing
Ye-U PDF, which forms Shwebo District PDF Battalion 14, said some regime forces are believed to have been killed or injured in Ye-U Township, Sagaing Region on Sunday when it used improvised rocket bombs to attacked regime forces stationed at the Traditional Hospital in the town of Ye-U.
After being attacked, regime forces responded indiscriminately with firearms and heavy explosives. But there were no PDF casualties, the resistance group said.
