Myanmar’s junta has suffered another humiliating defeat and more territory losses since the Brotherhood Alliance of ethnic armies and allies resumed Operation 1027 on June 25.
The Brotherhood’s Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), plus resistance groups including People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) under the civilian National Unity Government (NUG), are attacking the regime in northern Shan State and northern Mandalay Region.
In the past month, the junta has lost around 100 bases, several military battalions including North Eastern Command headquarters, and at least six towns including northern Shan State’s capital, Lashio.
Below, The Irrawaddy highlights the significant gains made by the armed resistance in phase two of Operation 1027.
Fall of Nawnghkio town
The TNLA and allied groups including Mandalay People’s Defense Forces managed to take effective control of Nawnghkio town in northern Shan State on the second day of attacks after Operation 1027 resumed on June 25.
The TNLA and allies claimed complete control of Nawnghkio Township on July 10 after seizing its last remaining junta position, Missile Battalion 606 headquarters.
Nawnghkio Township is located next to Pyin Oo Lwin, the garrison town in Mandalay Region that houses the junta’s Military Defense Academies. Nawnghkio town is also strategically located on the Mandalay-Lashio-Muse Highway, a vital Myanmar-China trade route. The town is located 56 km north of Pyin Oo Lwin.
Kyaukme Town
The TNLA and allied resistance groups took effective control of Kyaukme town after seizing all junta positions in the early days of Operation 1027’s resumption. The town is 51 km north of Nawnghkio and also strategically located on the Mandalay-Lashio-Muse Highway.
The TNLA has not yet claimed complete control of Kyaukme town amid continued attacks on a remaining junta position outside the town.
Singu Town
Mandalay PDF and local allies took complete control of Singu Township and Singu town in northern Mandalay Region on July 20 after around 20 days of attacks on regime targets in the township.
Singu, 91 km north of Myanmar’s second-biggest city, Mandalay, is the first town seized by Mandalay PDF. The town is also strategically located on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River.
Mandaya Township
Mandalay PDF, the TNLA and allies have seized around 30 junta bases and police stations including Air Defense Battalion 1024 headquarters in Madaya Township, threatening neighboring Mandalay city, where the junta’s Central Command is based.
The resistance attacks have prompted the junta to tighten security in Mandalay city.
Mandalay PDF and allies recently seized a junta base at Alpha Cement Factory in Madaya, 30 km north of the junta’s Central Command.
The fall of ruby town, Mogoke
The TNLA and allied PDFs took complete control of Mogoke town in northern Mandalay Region on July 25 after a month of attacks. Mogoke is known as “Ruby Town” for mines that produce some of the world’s finest red gemstones.
Mogoke neighbors Singu Township, which was seized by Mandalay PDF on July 20. The town also shares borders with Monglon and Mongmit towns, which have also fallen to the TNLA and allied resistance groups.
Mongmit town
The TNLA and allies seized effective control of Mongmit town in northern Shan State in mid-July. Intense clashes are still ongoing in Mongmit Township as resistance groups attack the remaining regime bases outside the town in order to take complete control of the township.
The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and allied resistance groups briefly took control of Mongmit in January before the junta retook the town after in a heavy offensive.
Mongmit is an hour’s drive from Mogoke town, which has been captured by the TNLA and allied PDFs.
Northern Shan State’s capital and North Eastern Command
The MNDAA (or Kokang army) and allied groups seized almost all of Lashio town, the capital of northern Shan State, last week after 23 days of attacks on frontline junta bases and battalion headquarters defending the capital.
The ethnic army also claimed to have captured the junta military’s North Eastern Command headquarters in the capital. This would be the first military regional command headquarters seized by the resistance, marking a major milestone in the popular uprising against the regime following the military coup in February 2021.
North Eastern Military Command oversees operations across northern Shan State, including areas on the Chinese border.
Intense clashes are ongoing in the capital Lashio as the MNDAA and allies attack the remaining junta position.
The MNDAA on Saturday announced the formation of a commission which will handle administrative matters and reconstruction work in Lashio.
