The Myanmar junta continues to commit war crimes, escalating bombardments of civilian targets after suffering heavy defeats nationwide in the face of expanding coordinated attacks by People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs).
The junta lost over two dozen troops in the past four days in resistance attacks across the country.
Incidents were reported in Shan, Rakhine and Chin states and Mandalay, Sagaing and Magwe regions.
The Irrawaddy has collected the following reports of significant attacks from PDFs and EAOs.
Some military casualties could not be independently verified.
Fierce clashes continue across northern Shan
Clashes were reported across northern Shan State on Tuesday, as the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) of the Brotherhood Alliance continued their Operation 1027 by attacking military bases in Namtu, Kutkai and Kyaukme townships, the ethnic alliance said.
After being attacked, the junta bases shelled nearby villages.
Also, a junta unit based in northern Shan State’s capital Lashio used a multiple launch rocket system to bombard Hman Pain Village in the township and a junta fighter jet bombed two more villages in Lashio Township.
A fighter jet and a Y12 airplane were also used to bomb areas near Kho Phate Village in Namtu Township on the same day, said the ethnic alliance.
Junta district police station seized in historic Rakhine city of Mrauk-U
As part of Operation 1027, the Arakan Army (AA) of the Brotherhood Alliance managed to seize the Mrauk-U District Police Station in the historic city of Mrauk-U in Rakhine State on Tuesday, the ethnic alliance said.
On Tuesday, the junta conducted artillery and air strikes as well as drone strikes on civilian targets in Mrauk-U, killing around five people including child refugees. That followed the killing of nine other civilians in a period of three days in junta bombardments of residential areas in Mrauk-U.
AA troops were also attempting to seize a strategic hilltop base from the junta in Paletwa Township in neighboring Chin State.
Clashes between junta troops and the AA were also reported in Kyauktaw and Pauktaw townships on the same day, prompting the regime to attack and bombard civilian targets and residential areas.
Junta soldiers killed in resistance attack in Chin
Two regime forces were killed in mountaintop Mindat Town, Chin State on Saturday when resistance fighters of Chin Defense Force (Mindat) attacked regime forces stationed at the junta-run township administrative office, a high school and a pagoda, said the ethnic Chin resistance group.
Military vehicles ambushed in minefields in Magwe
Magwe District PDF Battalion 2 claimed to have killed 15 junta solders and injured seven others in Sinbaungwe Township, Magwe Region last Friday as it and four other PDF groups triggered mines in four minefields to ambush 80 regime forces in three military trucks from the junta base at Danone Myaung Village.
They ambushed the military vehicles on the Koepin-Thagaya road while the junta forces were returning to their base after raiding villages and advancing into forests on the west side of the Bago Yoma mountain range in Aunglan Township.
After the mine ambushes, only one military truck managed to reach the base, the PDF group said.
Regime forces bombed in Mandalay
Natogyi Regional Defense Force (NRDF) said it and other local resistance groups used a makeshift remote-controlled airplane to bombard regime forces stationed at a monastery outside Thetkalkyin Village in Mahlaing Township, Mandalay Region on Monday.
After being attacked, regime forces on eight motorbikes raided nearby Suu Yit Kone Village in neighboring Natogyi Township.
The joint resistance groups triggered land mines to ambush the regime forces on the motorbikes as they returned to their base that night, killing four soldiers.
Five regime forces killed in Sagaing
Five regime forces were killed in Monywa Township, Sagaing Region on Monday when seven PDF groups clashed with regime forces from Tharsi Police Station while traveling in an ambulance, said Golden Eagle Force (Monywa), which was involved in the incident.
After requisitioning an ambulance and two rescue workers from a philanthropic organization, four soldiers and policemen in civilian clothes attempted to clandestinely send an injured policeman to a hospital.
A shootout occurred on a road when the ambulance refused to stop at a resistance checkpoint, said the resistance groups. During the shootout, resistance forces evacuated the two rescue workers from the vehicle. Three weapons were seized from the killed regime forces.
