Around 130 Myanmar regime forces including an army strategist and several pro-regime militia members were reportedly killed in the past three days as People’s Defense Force groups (PDFs) and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) escalated their attacks against junta forces including raids on several military bases.
Incidents were reported in Yangon, Bago, Magwe and Sagaing regions and Kayah and Mon states.
Some regime military casualty figures could not be independently verified.
20 junta forces including strategist killed in Mon
At least 20 junta soldiers including an army strategist were reportedly killed in Bilin Township, Mon State on Friday morning when Karen National Liberation Army and allied PDF forces ambushed a military convoy of 17 vehicles from four locations near a tollgate, local media outlet Salween Press reported, citing the commander of the KNLA’s Battalion 2, which coordinated the ambush.
The convoy was attacked while traveling from Mawlamyine to Bilin. Another 10 junta troops were injured in the ambush. Five military vehicles were abandoned in the area after being damaged in the resistance attack.
After the ambush, the injured soldiers and the bodies of those killed were taken away by military forces in two military vehicles and five ambulances, the KNLA official told Salween Press.
During the ambush, resistance forces used drones to attack a nearby artillery battalion in order to prevent it from shelling the fighters conducting the ambush. During the operation, two drones were shot down by the junta forces.
That night, six civilian houses were destroyed in a village when military bases shelled nearby villages, the KNLA said.
Three junta police including station chief killed in PDF raid in Mon
Three junta police including police station chief Hla Kyaw Oo were killed and four others captured in Kyaik Mayaw Township, Mon State on Saturday morning when Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and allied PDF fighters of Red Dragan Column raided the police station in the township, according to the PDF group.
Two police officers escaped during the raid. At least seven weapons and a quantity of ammunition were seized from the police station, the resistance group said.
The PDFs were forced to retreat from the area when junta aircraft attacked them.
Three junta outposts seized by KNU in Bago
Eleven regime forces were killed in Nyaunglaypin District in Bago Region when the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) seized three military outposts in the territory of KNLA Brigade 3 on Saturday, said the Karen National Union, the political wing of the armed force.
KNLA troops occupied the Than Seik and Baw Kahtar outposts after an approximately hour-long clash, and KNLA drones destroyed another junta outpost in Ton Tan.
Several military weapons and some ammunition were also seized in the raids, the KNU said.
KNLA troops were forced to retreat from the occupied junta outposts when junta aircraft conducted 20 air strikes against them.
After the clashes, the regime forces launched 10 air strikes on civilian targets in nearby villages. On Sunday, the regime continued its air strikes on civilian targets in the area, the KNU said.
Military vehicle bombed in Yangon
At least three regime soldiers were reportedly killed in Hlaing Township in Myanmar’s commercial hub Yangon on Sunday night when a military vehicle exploded and burned during an attack by an urban resistance force, said local news site Hlaing Info, which shares township information.
After being attacked, the regime forces arrested three civilians including one who was injured when junta forces started shooting.
Regime forces later blocked off the area and inspected vehicles, the news site said, citing residents and its own scouts.
69 military troops killed in friendly fire by junta helicopter gunship in Sagaing
At least 69 junta forces were reportedly killed near the border of Magwe Region’s Yesagyo and Sagaing’s Myaung townships on Sunday when a military Mi-35 helicopter gunship mistakenly attacked its own ground troops after a clash with resistance forces, said the Civil Defense and Security Organization of Myaung, a resistance group.
However, The Irrawaddy was unable to independently verify the report.
Citing villagers who were forced to carry the dead bodies of soldiers, Ko Nway Oo, the leader of the PDF group, told the media that the helicopter gunship attacked the military detachment under the mistaken impression that the junta soldiers, who were wearing civilian clothes, were PDF fighters.
Regime forces ambushed by PDF drone in Sagaing
Many junta soldiers are believed to have been killed or injured in Myinmu Township, Sagaing Region on Sunday when Black Eagle Defense Force-MMU used a drone to drop a bomb on a military detachment departing from a village, the resistance group said.
All PDF fighters escaped from the area without any casualties despite being attacked by soldiers who tracked the drone, the PDF group said.
Five junta soldiers killed in PDF ambush in Sagaing
Resistance fighters engage a military detachment in Wetlet Township on Sunday. / Tawgyi Mway Pyawe
Local resistance group Tawgyi Mway Pyawe claimed to have killed at least five regime forces on Sunday when it and four other local PDF groups ambushed a military detachment near a village in Wetlet Township, Sagaing Region.
The military detachment was attacked while heading to Htangyi Village after burning houses in nearby Kyaung Phyu Village.
In the shootout, some resistance fighters also suffered minor injuries.
A video shot by the PDF group shows resistance fighters attacking the regime forces in a shootout.
Two more soldiers killed in PDF ambush in Sagaing
PDF fighters of the Bo Kyargyi group use improvised firearms to engage military troops in Wetlet Township on Sunday. / Bo Tiger
Two more soldiers were killed in Wetlet Township, Sagaing Region on Sunday when local PDF group Bo Kyargyi ambushed a military detachment leaving Htangyi Village after burning houses there, the group claimed.
In the shootout, two PDF fighters also suffered minor injuries.
A video shows PDF fighters using improvised firearms engaging with regime forces.
Two junta police injured in PDF ambush in Sagaing
Two junta police officers were seriously injured in Shwebo Township, Sagaing Region last Friday when local PDF group Nay La Satkyar ambushed a small vehicle carrying regime forces in Shwebo, the PDF group claimed.
The group said it abandoned its primary mission to ambush the regime vehicle with land mines as there were some civilians nearby. Instead, its fighters used firearms to attack the vehicle.
Three pro-regime militia members killed in Sagaing
Three Pyu Saw Htee pro-regime militia members were killed during a clash with combined PDF groups patrolling in the township of Chaung-U in Sagaing Region on Saturday, said Chaung U Local Defense Force, which was involved in the clash.
A shootout broke out that morning when PDF patrols attacked militia groups leaving their village of Kangyi Kone. There were no PDF casualties, the resistance group said.
Two junta police killed guarding Chinese-backed copper mine in Sagaing
Two junta policemen were killed in Salingyi Township, Sagaing Region on Saturday when two commandos of the resistance group Myanmar’s Royal Dragon Army-Salingyi used 40-mm explosives to attack a junta sentry box guarding a Chinese copper mine operated by Wunbao Company, the PDF group said.
The junta forces were attacked from close range. Both PDF fighters escaped from the area.
Six pro-regime militia members killed in PDF ambush in Magwe
Six pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia members were killed in Myaing Township, Magwe Region early on Saturday morning when four local PDF groups attacked 10 militia members stealing the nut harvest from the farms of displaced villagers near pro-regime Thayat Kan Village, said Myaing-PDF, which coordinated the attack.
In the ambush, six militia members were shot dead on the spot, and four others, including three who were injured, escaped.
Regime forces in the village attacked the PDF fighters with both heavy explosives and automatic firearms, but all PDF fighters escaped from the area without any casualties.
Last Friday, two junta police were killed and another injured when Myaing-PDF used three land mines to attack four regime forces at a sentry bunker in front of a police station in the township, the PDF groups said.
Two junta soldiers killed in Magwe
Resistance fighters used improvised mortar shells during an intense clash with junta forces in Pakokku Township on Saturday. / Daung Thwayni PDF
Two regime soldiers were killed in Pakokku Township, Magwe Region on Saturday morning when 10 PDF groups jointly attacked junta troops stationed at a monastery in Ashae Hponekan Village in the township, said Daung Thwayni Guerrilla Force-Yeagyo, which was involved in the attack.
In the clash, two regime soldiers who climbed trees and took up positions to attack the resistance forces were gunned down by the PDF forces.
A video shot by the PDF group shows its fighters using improvised mortar shells to attack the regime forces.
Two soldiers killed in clash in Kayah
Two regime forces were killed and others injured in Demoso Township, Kayah State on Saturday when Central Regional PDF Battalion 1102 attacked regime forces stationed at Daw Ngan Khar Village in the township, the PDF group claimed.
After an hour of fighting, PDF forces were forced to retreat from the area when nearby Military Infantry Battalion 102 supported its ground troops with artillery strikes.
