Over 100 Myanmar Junta Forces Killed in Six Days of Resistance Attacks

By The Irrawaddy 6 January 2023

At least 110 Myanmar junta forces were killed across the country over the past six days as People’s Defense Force groups (PDFs) and a Karen ethnic armed organization stepped up their attacks on regime targets.

In one case, 90 regime forces and eight resistance fighters were killed in a series of clashes as PDFs and Karen resistance forces attempted to seize junta outposts in Karen State.

PDF groups also burned down a junta-run township immigration office in Magwe.

Incidents were reported in Karen State and Sagaing, Mandalay and Magwe regions.

The Irrawaddy has rounded up the following reports of significant attacks from PDFs and the EAO.

Some military casualties could not be independently verified.

90 regime forces killed by Karen resistance forces in Karen  

Over 90 regime soldiers were killed during six days of fighting in Kyainseikgyi Township, Karen State as Karen resistance forces and PDF groups attempted to occupy bases of the junta-allied Border Guard Force (BGF) near Taung Soon Village, claimed Lion Battalion Commando, which coordinated the attacks.

Heavy clashes erupted in the area on Dec. 31 and two out of the three BGF outposts were captured by the resistance forces on Monday. Heavy fighting continued in the area until Thursday as the resistance forces attempted to seize the remaining BGF bases.

In the clashes, eight resistance fighters were also killed, the resistance group told the media.

Many civilian houses were destroyed when regime forces shelled villages in the area during the clashes, Lion Battalion Commando said.

Eight regime forces killed in PDF raids in Mandalay

 At least eight regime forces were killed and some others injured in Thabeikkyin Township, Mandalay Region on Wednesday night when four PDF groups jointly raided a police outpost and ambushed military reinforcements, claimed Bo Lin Yone PDF group, which joined the attack.

First, the PDF fighters raided a police outpost in Chaunggyi Village at 8:45 p.m., killing three junta policemen and injuring five.

Meanwhile, other resistance fighters used a cluster of six land mines to ambush two vehicles carrying military reinforcements between two villages while they were heading to the police outpost as part of the PDF raid.

Five regime forces are believed to have been injured and the two military vehicles were forced to turn back.

Another three soldiers were killed and five injured when PDF forces ambushed another military vehicle carrying reinforcements from nearby Sintgu Township on the same night.

PDF members stopped their attacks and retreated when two more trucks carrying military reinforcements from Sintgu headed to the PDF-targeted police outpost, the PDF group said.

Regime forces bombed in Mandalay

Five regime forces including pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia members were seriously injured in Thabeikkyin Township, Mandalay Region on Wednesday when local PDF group Wild Elephant Guerrilla Force used a drone to bomb regime forces in Kyar Nyat Village, said the PDF group.

It said they dropped a bomb on the junta-run village administration office where 15 regime forces and pro-regime militia members were holding a meeting.

In an aerial video, the roof of the administration office building is visibly damaged after being bombed by a drone.

Pro-regime militia detachment faces repeated ambushes in Sagaing

Many pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia members are believed to have been killed and injured in Taze Township, Sagaing Region on Thursday when eight PDF groups repeatedly ambushed a detachment of 140 of them, claimed local PDF group Guerrilla Warfare-K.P.K, which joined the attacks.

First, militia forces from Sin Nge Village faced mine ambushes in six locations when they entered Kyun Taw Kone Village to raid it. After being hit by the mines, the militia troops torched houses in the village.

A shootout broke out as PDF fighters continued to ambush the militia forces leaving the village. Faced with the PDF attacks, the militia group re-entered the village.

Later, the militia members were ambushed with mines in two locations while they were leaving the village via another route, said the PDF group. The bodies of killed or injured militia troops were transported in two vehicles, the resistance force said.

Regime forces raided in Sagaing 

A heavy, nine-hour-long clash broke out in Pale Township, Sagaing Region on Wednesday when four PDF groups from Sagaing and Magwe regions conducted a surprise attack on regime forces at the Kan Daunt Police Station, said Black Leopard People Army, which coordinated the attack.

Around 100 regime forces and pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia members from the police station were attacked while they were leaving Kan Daunt Village to raid nearby villages.

In the clash, combined PDF groups used over 30 improvised rocket-propelled bombs. A junta soldier was killed and a PDF fighter suffered minor injuries, the PDF group said.

Six regime forces killed in PDF ambush in Sagaing

Six junta soldiers were killed in Kani Township, Sagaing Region on Wednesday when three PDF groups ambushed a scout motorboat carrying seven soldiers on the Chindwin River, said Kyauklonegyi PDF, which coordinated the attack.

Regime forces in the small boat—which was part of a military flotilla of supply vessels carrying rations that became stranded on sandbanks in the river—was ambushed while it was heading upstream. In the attack, a soldier escaped by jumping into the river.

Offering video evidence, the PDF group said it seized the junta motorboat and then sank it. Some military equipment was also seized.

Three regime forces killed in PDF raid in Sagaing

At least three regime forces were killed and some others injured in Kanbalu Township, Sagaing Region on Thursday when five PDF groups jointly raided regime forces and pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia members stationed at Yaw Village, said local PDF group Kanbalu Underground Warriors, which joined the attack.

In the attack, PDF forces also used eight 60-mm mortar rounds and drones to attack the regime forces. Regime forces have been extorting and forcing Yaw villagers to join a junta-allied militia group, the activist group said.

All resistance fighters retreated from the area without casualties when pro-regime militia reinforcements arrived at the village.

Junta-run immigration office burned by PDF group in Magwe

The junta-run township immigration office building is burned down by PDF forces in the town of Myaing Township on Tuesday. / MVRF

Local resistance group Myaing Village Revolution Front claimed to have burned down the junta-run township immigration office building in the town of Myaing in Magwe Region on Tuesday.

At least three regime soldiers guarding the office were killed by PDF forces during the raid, according to a local media report.