At least 42 Myanmar junta forces including pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia members were killed in the last four days as People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) continued to attack regime targets across the country.
Incidents were reported in Sagaing, Magwe and Tanintharyi regions and Shan State.
The Irrawaddy has collected the following reports of significant attacks from PDFs.
Some military casualties could not be independently verified.
Military column ambushed with land mines in Sagaing
The resistance group Chindwin Tiger People Defense Force claimed to have killed 15 junta soldiers as it and two PDF groups used several land mines to ambush a military column of 200 troops and Pyu Saw Htee militia members in Yinmabin, Sagaing Region on Thursday.
The column was traveling to the pro-regime village of Bent Bwe in Yinmabin from another pro-junta village, Alal Kyun in Kani Township.
First, the military column was ambushed while passing through three minefields, killing five junta forces.
The PDF groups continued to ambush the column by using another cluster of 12 land mines, killing 10 more regime troops.
Four junta policemen killed in PDF ambush in Sagaing
Combined resistance forces ambush regime police forces in Myaung Township on Thursday. / Myingyan Tiger PDF
PDF group Myingyan Tiger claimed to have killed four junta police from Kyauk Yit police station in Myaung Township, Sagaing Region on Thursday when it and other PDF groups jointly ambushed the officers as they were returning to their base.
Township administration office raided in Magwe
At least 10 regime forces were reportedly killed in Yesagyo Township, Magwe Region on Wednesday when a large number of resistance forces attacked regime troops stationed at the township General Administration Department in Yesagyo town, said Myingyan Black Tiger PDF, which led the raid.
Prior to the attack, regime forces had attempted to arrest two PDF members, detaining one, who was injured. The regime forces placed the injured fighter on a road in an attempt to lure resistance forces to try to rescue their comrade, planning to ambush the rescuers.
But the junta abandoned the ambush plan when it learned that a large number of PDF fighters were heading to the town to take part in the rescue of the injured comrade, said the leader of the PDF group. Unable to rescue their comrade, the PDF groups attacked the administration office instead.
Regime forces face repeated mine blasts in Magwe
At least three junta troops were killed and many others injured in Yesagyo Township, Magwe Region on Thursday when Yesagyo PDF conducted a series of land-mine ambushes on military vehicles from the military’s Light Infantry Battalion 256, the resistance group said.
First, the group used a cluster of eight land mines to ambush two military vehicles carrying 60 troops on a road. It also used a cluster of 15 land mines to ambush one more military truck transporting reinforcements to the ambush site.
In the second attack, three soldiers were killed and eight others injured, the PDF group said. There were no PDF casualties despite soldiers chasing and attacking them.
That afternoon, the PDF group used six land mines to ambush two more military vehicles carrying the bodies of killed and injured soldiers near the entrance to Yesagyo. More regime forces were injured, the resistance group claimed.
On Wednesday, two soldiers were killed in the township when Yesagyo PDF ambushed five regime forces traveling to a village.
Junta spy, militia leader killed in Magwe
Southern Magway PDF claimed to have killed the Pyu Saw Htee militia leader Aung Thaung, who was also chair of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP)’s branch in Ma Dine Village, in Min Hla Township, Magwe Region on Tuesday.
The militia leader was supplying the regime with information about striking government servants and pro-junta activists.
The group said it also killed army Sergeant Tin Kyi from the No. 2 Military Weapons Factory as he was spying on the movements of local resistance groups by pretending to be a civilian.
The sergeant was shot dead while in resistance detention as he attempted to flee after snatching a weapon from PDF forces, the resistance group said.
Police outpost seized by resistance in northern Shan
Four junta policemen were killed in Momeik Township, northern Shan State on Wednesday when the northern unit of All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF) raided the police outpost in Kyauk Maw Village, the resistance group said.
After a 30-minute firefight, the resistance group managed to seize the whole police base. Six weapons and some ammunition were also seized. The resistance forces found three women and two children at the outpost and released them later.
The police outpost was notorious for extorting money from vehicles and businesses nearby.
Army major killed in land-mine ambush in Tanintharyi
Two regime forces including an army major were killed in Yephyu Township, Tanintharyi Region on Tuesday when Yephyu PDF used land mines to ambush a small vehicle from the military’s Artillery Battalion 304 on the Ye-Dawei Highway, the PDF group told local media.
After the incident, regime forces arrested 30 residents including women and children from nearby Kyauk Kanya Village, according to a report by The Tanintharyi Times citing locals and the resistance group.
