Heavy fighting continues in Bago as resistance forces push along the old Yangon–-Mandalay Highway and Yangon–Pyay Road in concerted attacks disrupting the junta-organized election.
On Monday, a collective of People’s Defense Forces united under the Bago Region Military Command attacked a junta column advancing into Kyein Khar Kone Village near the highway southeast of Penwegon in Kyauktaga Township.
The PDF said they defeated the junta troops, killing 20 including their commanding officer, a major, and scattering the rest.
Bago District PDF Battalion 2 said the resistance side also lost two fighters in the clash while three others suffered minor injuries.
A photo shows the dead bodies of what appear to be the major, holding a pistol, and one of his soldiers lying under a civilian house.
The PDF also seized weapons, ammunition and other military equipment including an anti-drone jammer.
Fighting escalated last week. On Friday, PDF launched anti-regime Operation Aung Myin, carrying out simultaneous attacks on 14 regime positions in the area, the shadow National Unity Government (NUG) said.
The operation is named for the conurbation of Taw Kywe Inn (aka Aung Myin), but the groups also attacked regime positions around Tharyargone town in Kyauktaga as well Sipinthar Village in Oktwin townships, killing at least 50 regime forces and wounding many others.
Fighters briefly seized Taw Kywe Inn and burned down administrative buildings, an election commission office, and the police station, releasing eight civilians who had been arbitrarily detained there by the regime, the NUG said.
In Tharyargone, PDF fighters were joined by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)’s Battalion 9, it added.
