The ethnic Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and allied resistance groups took complete control of Kyaukme town on a vital Myanmar-China trade route in northern Shan State on Tuesday after defeating the last remaining junta battalion headquarters protecting it, according to resistance forces on the front line.
Kyaukme is the sixth town seized by ethnic armies and their resistance allises since Phase 2 of Operation 1027 was launched on June 25.
The TNLA and its allies have had effective control of Kyaukme since seizing all junta positions within it during the first two days of fighting after the ethnic army resumed Operation 1027 on June 25.
On Tuesday morning, the ethnic army and allied resistance groups seized the junta’s Military Operations Command (MOC) 1 and two Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) headquarters—those of LIBs 501 and 502—located 1.6 km north of Kyaukme town, the resistance sources said.
“All junta outposts and battalion headquarters are now in the hands of the TNLA. Tanks were also seized by the ethnic army. Many regime forces died in the resistance attack, while many others fled,” a resistance source told The Irrawaddy.
In its failed attempt to defend its battalion headquarters, the junta conducted airstrikes until 0.00 hours on Tuesday, the TNLA and resistance sources said.
About 100 remaining junta troops fled to southern Shan State after abandoning their bases.
Colonel Aung Khaing Moe, the deputy commander of MOC 1, led the junta operation to defend Kyaukme, as Brigadier General Myo Min Htwe, the commander of MOC 1, was arrested by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and allied resistance groups during their recent seizure of Lashio, the capital of northern Shan State.
However, the TNLA had yet to issue an official statement announcing the complete seizure of Kyaukme as of Tuesday morning, and the TNLA’s spokesperson couldn’t be reached for comment.
Along with several resistance groups, the TNLA and MNDAA, two members of the Brotherhood Alliance that launched the successful anti-regime offensive Operation 1027 in October last year, resumed the operation in northern Shan State and northern Mandalay Region on June 25 after a Chinese-brokered ceasefire collapsed.
Over a month into Phase 2 of the operation, the ethnic armies and allied resistance groups including People’s Defense Force groups (PDFs) under the command of the civilian National Unity Government have so far seized six towns and over 100 junta bases—including the regime military’s North Eastern Command headquarters—in northern Shan State and northern Mandalay Region.
