Almost 90 junta soldiers and at least three civilian resistance fighters were reportedly killed in fighting in Sagaing, Mandalay and Yangon regions and Chin and Kayah states over the past two days.

However, The Irrawaddy was unable to independently confirm the casualties and the regime does not comment.

Junta forces are facing increasingly intense attacks from the People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) and some ethnic armed groups across the country.

On Thursday afternoon, a fierce firefight between regime forces and the combined Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) and Karenni Army, the armed wing of the Karenni National Progressive Party, broke out near a village in Demoso Township, Kayah State.

During four hours of fighting, large numbers of junta troops deployed on hills attacked civilian resistance fighters with artillery, according to the KNDF.

It said there were around 20 military casualties and a civilian resistance fighter was killed during the intense fighting.

Large numbers of military casualties have been reported in ambushes and firefights with PDFs in several Sagaing Region townships.

Pale PDF claimed to have killed or injured around 25 regime troops during landmine ambushes in Pale Township, Sagaing Region, on Wednesday evening.

Pale PDF ambushed around 70 junta troops moving on foot on the Pale-Gangaw highway using 10 landmines.

The resistance fighters escaped without any casualties, said Pale PDF.

Kawlin Revolution (KR), the media wing of Kawlin PDF, said around 15 junta troops were killed in a PDF ambush on around 200 troops near Oakkan village in the west of Kawlin Township, Sagaing Region, on Thursday.

In the shootout, several junta troops were hit by an artillery round fired by their comrades, the KR said.

On Friday, seven bodies of civilians, who are believed to have been tortured, were found near the site of the fighting, according to the KR.

Five junta soldiers were reportedly killed during a firefight with the combined Katha PDF and Kachin Independence Army near Moetar village in Katha Township, Sagaing Region, on Wednesday, said Katha Revolution, which distributes reports about the township and the Katha PDF.

In the firefight, a 21-year-old civilian resistance fighter from Katha PDF was killed. Clashes have occurred near Moetar since Monday when reinforcements arrived on two military ships.

Tigyaing Revolution (TR), the media wing of Tigyaing PDF, said a soldier was killed when the PDF mined a plainclothes regime officer’s vehicle in Tigyaing Township, Sagaing Region, on Friday.

On Thursday, the Tigyaing PDF raided regime forces stationed at a village in the township using explosives and firearms, said TR. The military casualties are unknown.

On Thursday, a junta soldier was reportedly killed when a combined force of PDFs attacked the entrance of a police academy in Monywa, the capital of Sagaing Region.

Video shows the gate being shot at from a moving vehicle.

Myanmar’s junta has suffered the heaviest losses in sprawling Sagaing Region, where it faces the highest numbers of resistance attacks.

It is where protesters first took up arms against the military in late March after large numbers of peaceful demonstrators were killed.

After cutting off the internet and phone connections in several Sagaing townships, the regime is escalating its operations against the PDFs, using thousands of reinforcements and heavy weapons.

The regime is using its air force and gunboats against PDFs in Sagaing, where civilian fighters are mostly armed with traditional hunting rifles and homemade mines.

On Thursday afternoon, three junta troops were reportedly killed when a civilian resistance group attacked junta troops inspecting a blast using three remote-controlled mines in Mogoke, a ruby town in Mandalay Region, according to news sites.

The Yaw Defense Force claimed to have killed 12 junta soldiers during an ambush on a 32-vehicle convoy on the Gangaw- Kyaukhtu highway in Gangaw Township, Magwe Region, on Wednesday afternoon.

The Chinland Defense Force in Matupi said six junta soldiers were killed and a civilian resistance fighter suffered minor injuries when the group attacked regime forces in the west of Matupi Township, Chin State, on Wednesday morning.

The Arakan Army resumed fighting in Rakhine State this week, meaning Myanmar’s junta now faces attacks from ethnic armed groups and PDFs across the country, including guerrilla-style strikes in Yangon, Mandalay, Naypyitaw and other cities.

The regime has continued its atrocities, including arbitrary killings of non-combatants, using civilians as human shields, bombarding residential areas and looting and burning houses, especially in Magwe and Sagaing regions and Chin, Shan and Kayah states.

By Thursday, at least 1,253 people have been killed and more than 10,000 have been detained by the junta since the February coup, said the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which monitors rights violations.

Source:
courtesy of THE IRRAWADDY

by THE IRRAWADDY

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