About 400 junta forces abandoned their mission to retake Shwe Pyi Aye Town in Sagaing Region’s gold-mining hub, Homalin Township, on Saturday after suffering heavy losses during 10 days of fierce resistance attacks, according to anti-regime groups.
Several People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) under the Defense Ministry of the civilian National Unity Government have had complete control of the small town on the eastern bank of the Chindwin River since Nov. 22 last year.
Regime forces began attempting to retake the town on Jan. 26. Led by Homalin Township-based Light Infantry Battalion 272, they included allied Shanni Nationalities Army troops and pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militias.
Some junta military units with experience fighting PDFs on the plains in lower Sagaing Region were involved in the failed mission to retake Shwe Pyi Aye, the PDFs said.
The junta used fighter jets and MI-2 helicopters to attack resistance forces during the fight to retake the town, but its ground troops suffered heavy losses and were defeated.
Resistance groups were able to surround regime forces, cutting off their supplies of food and ammunition, which made them reliant on helicopters for delivery of food and ammunition, the PDFs said.
The PDFs were better armed and more experienced in battle than the junta expected, said Homalin PDF Battalion 3 fighter Ko Maung Htoo.
“Regime forces attacked the town because they thought that we could be like other PDFs from the central plains region who are not well-equipped with automatic firearms, but we are well-equipped and have advantages geographically due to the surrounding forest and mountains,” he explained.
“Our fighters also have plenty of fighting experiences from previous clashes. That’s why we managed to defeat the regime forces,” he added.
Regime forces retreated from the town late Saturday night. PDF troops said they found 15 bodies buried in abandoned junta positions near the town and another 40 regime troops were injured in the failed effort to retake the town.
Resistance forces said they chased after and ambushed retreating soldiers in forests, killing seven more of them
The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the number of casualties.
The remaining junta troops fled to Homalin Town after crossing the Chindwin River, fighters from Homalin PDF Battalion 3 said.
Shwe Pyi Aye is a relatively new town that was founded by General Tha Aye, a member of the previous regime’s State Peace and Development Council and a former Chief Minister of Sagiang Region during the regime’s time in power between 1997 and 2011.
PDFs briefly took control of the town for several days in February of last year, but retreated after heavy counterattacks.
