Myanmar’s junta lost one more town and several bases as well as around 54 troops in the last four days as People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) stepped up attacks on regime targets across the country.
Incidents were reported in Karen, Rakhine and Kachin states and Magwe, Sagaing and Mandalay regions.
The Irrawaddy has collected the following reports of significant attacks from PDFs and EAOs.
Some military casualties could not be independently verified.
Ethnic Karen army seizes Papun town
The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the armed wing of the Karen Nation Union (KNU), and allied resistance groups claimed to have largely seized Papun town in Karen State on Wednesday.
After taking control of the town, the resistance groups attacked the junta hilltop base and Infantry Battalion 19 outside Papun on Thursday, according to KNU spokesman Saw Kalel Say.
Junta bases seized near Chinese border in Kachin’s Momauk
The ethnic Kachin Independence Army (KIA) seized two more junta bases in Yaw Yone and Nga Gayan near Lweje town on the Chinese border in Momauk Township, Kachin State on Thursday, according to local media reports.
The ethnic army has so far seized around seven junta positions in the area.
Arakan Army clashes with regime forces in Rakhine, Magwe
The ethnic Arakan Army from Rakhine State said its troops clashed with a military unit of 50 soldiers in Ngape Township in neighboring Magwe Region on Thursday, killing six regime forces and injuring 10 others.
AA troops seized weapons and ammunition from the killed regime forces. On Tuesday, the AA troops also clashed with 40 regime forces near Tone Gyi Village in Ngape Township. Four regime troops were found dead and eight were injured.
The AA troops also clashed with forces of the junta’s Light Infantry Battalion 563 in a mountainous area in Myebon Township on Thursday morning. On Tuesday morning, the ethnic army also engaged in a clash with a military unit near a village in Ann Township.
During the clash, junta drones and aircraft conducted strikes to support regime ground troops fighting the AA. Fifteen junta troops were killed and 15 injured, while two AA troops also suffered minor injuries.
The AA said it killed eight junta soldiers during a shootout with 50 regime forces on the Buthidaung-Maungdaw Kyaw Road in Buthidaung Township, Rakhine State on Monday. It also seized the junta’s Taung Bazar base in Buthidaung on Monday.
Regime forces killed in resistance mine ambush in Magwe
A military truck is blown up in a resistance land mine ambush in Pakokku Township, Magwe Region on Thursday. / Myaing PDF
At least 11 soldiers were killed on the spot and 19 others suffered serious injuries in Pakokku Township, Magwe Region on Thursday when local resistance groups used a heavy makeshift land mine to ambush one of two military vehicles carrying a total of 72 soldiers of Military Division 101 based in Pakokku town, on the Pakokku- Kamma Road, said Myaing PDF, which coordinated the ambush.
The targeted military vehicle, carrying 33 soldiers, was destroyed in the blast, the PDF group said.
Police station, junta position attacked in Mandalay’s Natogyi town
Resistance forces attack regime bases in and outside Natogyi Town, Mandalay Region on Tuesday and Wednesday. / Natogyi PDF
Natogyi PDF said it and two other resistance groups attacked regime forces stationed at the police station and construction department office in Natogyi town, Natogyi Township, Mandalay Region on Tuesday. Military casualties were unknown.
The next day, they attacked a junta base in the east of Natogyi town, killing and injuring several regime soldiers, the PDF group said.
Military convoy ambushed in Mandalay
At least seven regime forces and pro-junta militia members were killed and 40 others injured in Thabeikkyin Township, Mandalay Region on Monday when the Bo Linn Yone resistance group blocked and ambushed four military vehicles carrying soldiers and pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia members from nearby Madaya Township on the Madaya-Tagaung Road, the resistance group said.
During the shootout, other pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee military groups from nearby Yay Htwet Village joined the ambushed military forces.
During the ambush, two military vehicles were destroyed, the resistance group said.
Pro-junta militia members killed in resistance ambush in Sagaing’s Shwebo
Pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia leader Tun Tun Naing from the pro-military village of Myin Chin and two militia members were killed in Shwebo Township, Sagaing Region on Thursday when 17 resistance groups ambushed a vehicle of the militia group on the Shwebo-Ye U Road, said Shwebo Crocodile, which joined the ambush.
The military group was ambushed while traveling to Shwebo town to collect their salaries from regime officials, the resistance group said. During the ambush, an AK-47 rifle was seized from the killed militia members.
