Myanmar’s junta continues to suffer heavy defeats and lost at least a dozen troops in the past three days as People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) stepped up attacks on regime targets across the country.
In particular, the regime is suffering humiliating defeats in large-scale offensives by an ethnic armed group in Rakhine State.
Incidents were reported in Rakhine State and Mandalay, Magwe, Sagaing and Tanintharyi 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 one more junta gunboat in Rakhine
The ethnic Rakhine armed group the Arakan Army (AA) claimed to have seized a military gunboat during a clash with the regime’s navy near Thet Pone Village in Minbya Township on Tuesday.
During six days of clashes from Feb. 7 to 13, AA troops managed to destroy three military gunboats and two junta landing craft while rendering four other military vessels useless, said the AA.
The AA has been escalating attacks on regime targets across northern Rakhine State since Nov. 13 last year. It also took control of several townships, driving all regime forces out.
Junta troops killed in resistance drone strike in Mandalay
Natogyi People’s Defense Force said it conducted drone strikes on a group of 10 regime forces at a police outpost in Pyin Si Village in Natogyi Township, Mandalay Region on Sunday, killing two junta personnel.
The regime forces were notorious for extorting money from civilians.
Pro-regime militia members killed in resistance ambush in Magwe
Seven pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia members were killed and five others arrested in a resistance ambush in Myaing Township, Magwe Region on Tuesday, said resistance group Young Force UG.
First, Young Force and seven PDF groups ambushed a group of pro-junta militia members from the pro-military village of Thayet Kan while they were patrolling outside the village on Tuesday morning. Two militia members were killed and five others were arrested.
Later, the combined PDF groups continued to ambush many other militia members who were planning to retrieve the bodies of two militia members, killing five more Pyu Saw Htee members, said Young Force.
Military unit bombarded in Sagaing
Ye-U PDF said it used makeshift remote-controlled airplanes to conduct drone strikes on a regime unit of 80 troops from Ye-U town while they were entering Depayin town in Sagaing Region on Tuesday.
Some regime forces are believed to have been injured, the PDF group said.
Regime forces attacked in Sagaing’s Myinmu town
Fighters of joint resistance groups conduct a surprise attack on regime forces stationed at the junta-controlled bank in Myinmu Town in Sagaing Region on Tuesday. / Dog Killers PDF (Myinmu)
Dog Killers PDF (Myinmu) said it and six anti-regime resistance groups conducted a surprise attack on regime forces stationed at the junta-controlled Myanmar Economic Bank in the town of Myinmu, Sagaing Region on Tuesday, sparking a clash.
Regime forces are believed to have been killed and injured as one of the resistance forces’ heavy explosives directly hit its target, said the PDF groups.
Junta bases bombarded in Tanintharyi
A drone unit of Dawei PDF Battalion 2 conducts drone strikes on a junta base in Thayehchaung Township, Tanintharyi Region on Sunday. / Dawei PDF Battalion 2
Two regime forces were killed and some others injured in Thayetchaung Township, Tanintharyi Region on Sunday when a drone unit of Dawei PDF Battalion 2 used a drone to drop five bombs on a military base in Pae Dat Village, said the PDF group.
After being bombarded, the regime forces randomly opened fire with both heavy explosives and firearms.
