At least 125 Myanmar junta forces including pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia members were reportedly killed in the last six days as People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) stepped up their attacks on regime targets across the country.
In one case, Karen rebel groups and allied resistance forces heavily clashed with regime forces in Kawkareik Township, Karen State for six days.
Incidents were reported in Karen, Kachin, Shan and Chin states and Sagaing, Magwe, Mandalay and Bago regions.
The Irrawaddy has rounded up the following reports of significant attacks from PDFs and EAOs.
Some military casualties could not be independently verified.
90 junta troops killed in six days of intense clashes in Karen
At least 90 regime forces were killed and 50 others injured during six days of intense clashes with combined ethnic Karen and resistance forces in Kawkareik Township, Karen State, claimed the resistance group Lion Battalion Commando, which took part in the clashes.
Clashes started on Jan. 20 when the resistance forces attacked a military detachment of 150 troops invading villages near the town of Kyondoe.
In the clashes, two Karen National Union armed wings—the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the Karen National Defense Organization (KNDO)—and another Karen army, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), joined the resistance groups attacking regime forces.
During the clashes, junta artillery units nearby used more than 200 artillery rounds to shell the villages while helicopter gunships and fighter jets conducted more than 10 air strikes. Civilian buildings in the villages were burned down by the junta shelling.
On Thursday, regime forces retreated from the area. In the clashes, three resistance fighters were also killed, said Lion Battalion Commando.
Three junta checkpoints raided, burned down in Kachin
The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and allied PDF forces raided and burned down three military checkpoints of junta forces and militia group the Shanni National Army in Hpakant Township, Kachin State on Wednesday and Thursday, according to local residents.
The KIA also attacked a military base and a strategic junta outpost on a mountain in the east of Hpakant on Thursday morning.
However, casualties on both sides were unknown.
Six regime forces killed in PDF ambush in Mandalay
Local PDF group 27 Revolution Force claimed it and another resistance group killed two junta soldiers and four policemen as they used a cluster of seven land mines to ambush regime forces on five motorbikes on a road in Myingyan Township, Mandalay Region on Wednesday night.
Bodies of regime forces were transported in an ambulance, the PDF group said.
Three regime forces killed by PDF land mines in Magwe
Two junta soldiers and a pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia member were killed and five others injured in Myaing Township, Magwe Region on Thursday when two PDF groups used seven landmines to ambush an advance unit of 15 regime forces.
The regime forces were ambushed while they were heading to Thaegyi Village from an oil drilling site in the township. After the ambush, regime forces burned down two houses nearby. Resistance forces continued to conduct drone strikes on 50 regime forces stationed at the monastery in Thaegyi Village.
Regime forces opened fire at random.
Four junta troops killed in PDF drone strike in Sagaing
A PDF drone drops a bomb on regime targets in Wetlet Township on Wednesday. / NDRF
Local resistance group Ngwe Dwin Revolution Forces claimed to have killed four regime forces in Wetlet Township, Sagaing Region on Wednesday when it used a drone to drop a bomb on a military detachment of 60 troops.
The regime forces were bombed while resting at a home on farmland.
Five regime forces killed in PDF shelling in Sagaing
At least five junta troops were killed in Khin-U Township, Sagaing Region on Wednesday when Khin U Special Force Organization used 18 improvised mortar rounds to shell two regime camps.
There were no resistance casualties in the operations.
Military vehicle ambushed with land mines in Sagaing
At least two regime soldiers were killed in Sagaing Township, Sagaing Region on Thursday when three PDF groups used six land mines to ambush a military vehicle, said Zero Guerrilla Force, which joined the attack.
The military vehicle was ambushed between two villages on the Monywa-Sagaing road while returning to its base after removing land mines planted by the PDF groups.
Ten pro-regime militia members killed in PDF raids in Sagaing
At least 10 pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia members were killed and some others arrested in Shwebo Township, Sagaing Region on Wednesday night when local combined PDF groups raided the pro-regime village of Myinsee, said Shwebo Local PDF.
All PDF forces retreated from the raid when junta reinforcements in two vehicles arrived at the village.
Regime camps raided in southern Shan
Battalion 3 of the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) claimed it and Mobye People Defense Forces jointly conducted raids on two military camps in the town of Mobye in Pekon Township, southern Shan State on Tuesday.
They raided two military camps in the town at the same time on Tuesday night. Many regime forces are thought to have been killed or injured, the resistance group said. There were no resistance casualties.
Two junta troops killed in Chin state capital
Two regime forces were killed and a firearm seized in Chin State’s capital Hakha on Wednesday when Chinland Defense Force-Hakha ambushed regime forces sending food boxes to junta sentries in the town, according to local media citing a statement issued by the resistance group in the Chin language.
Three alleged junta informants assassinated in Bago
Bago Region PDF claimed its member PDF groups assassinated three pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia members in Phyu and Nyaung Lay Pin townships in Bago Region on Wednesday.
Phyu-PDF group killed pro-regime militia member Myo Zaw Oo, 25, at his brother’s house in Satt Kone Village in Phyu Township on Wednesday evening. The victim’s brother is also a junta-appointed village administrator.
The victim was providing financial support to regime forces by running gambling businesses, said Bago Region PDF.
On the same day, Nyaung Lay Pin PDF group killed pro-regime militia member and criminal Ko Min Aung and his wife Ma Ei Mon in Nyaung Lay Pin Township while they were returning home from gambling.
The couple were informants and supplied regime forces in the township with the proceeds of their gambling businesses.
