23rd June 2021
The resistance to the Junta grows. In Sagaing region, 1,000 civilian defenders took on troops deployed in a base and then had the nerve to ambush reinforcements sent to relieve the base.
At least 30 junta troops were reportedly killed during two shootouts with civilian resistance forces in Kani and Yinmabin townships, Sagaing Region, on Tuesday, according to residents.
On Tuesday, around 1,000 civilian resistance fighters using homemade rifles attacked about 60 junta troops deployed at Tayaw Kyin village beside the Monywa-Kalaywa Highway. The village is near the border of Kani and Yinmabin townships in Sagaing Region.
Junta troops remain deployed in the village since the raid.
During the six-hour shootout, about 10 junta troops were killed, a villager who was involved in the fighting told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday.
Other resistance forces from the two townships also ambushed about 60 junta reinforcement from Monywa travelling to Tayaw Kyin village to help their defeated colleagues.
The junta reinforcements also triggered about five landmines on the Monywa-Kalaywa highway between Tayar Kyin and Bant Bway villages.
About 15 to 20 junta troops were killed, according to witnesses. In retribution, the security forces burned about eight houses near Bant Bway.
More than 100 junta reinforcements on Wednesday were searching forests near the villages.
“They are searching all houses beside the highway and the forests. They open fire at random,” a civilian resistance member said.
Shootouts between the regime’s troops and resistance fighters started in the area on April 2.
Several thousand villagers in Kani Township have fled their homes to avoid the fighting and regime raids.
Guerilla attack
Two junta police officers were reportedly killed by the civilian resistance Zero Guerilla Force during a raid on a police outpost in Mandalay Region’s Nagzon Township on Tuesday night.
A member of the group told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday that 25 fighters raided the Min Nay Gon outpost in Nganzon Township on Tuesday night.
During the 20-minute firefight, two officers, including a police captain, were killed and the resistance fighters managed to retreat without casualties, the source said. Fifteen police officers were unharmed.
However, The Irrawaddy was not able to independently confirm the police casualties.
Zero Guerilla Force has attacked junta forces in Myingyan Township, Mandalay Region, on several occasions. Last Friday, it shot dead a traffic police officer in Myingyan.
An army major and captain were shot dead by the group in the town on May 27 and June 3.
“We are the force to fight injustice. We will never accept the military regime. We have vowed to fight everything junta-related,” said the member.
Junta detainees
Nine civilians, including a family of six, were detained by junta forces during a house raid in Monywa Township, Sagaing Region, on Monday.
After being accused of supplying the People’s Defense Forces, tutor U Tin Myint Soe and his five family members, including a six-year-old girl, were detained along with three house guests by the junta forces during the Aye Tharyar Ward raid.
On Tuesday, the girl was reportedly released but the whereabouts of the other eight are unknown.
Junta-controlled newspapers said all the detainees were planning to supply the PDF in Kani Township.
A source, who knows the family, said they were planning to donate humanitarian aid to Kin Ma village in Pauk Township, Magwe Region, which was burned down after a clash between junta forces and resistance fighters on June 15.
“I condemn the junta for seizing people who are trying to help others. Helping each other is not a crime,” the source told The Irrawaddy.
Source The Irrawaddy 23rd June 2021.
Following on from the raid by the Junta in Mandalay yesterday, it transpires that one of the casualties was a high ranking Tatmadaw officer.
A lieutenant colonel, captain and another rank from Myanmar’s military were killed on Tuesday by the People’s Defense Force (PDF) formed by civilian resistance fighters in Mandalay.
The three were killed by a small group of poorly armed civilian resistance fighters after junta forces raided a Mandalay PDF base in Hton Tone ward in Chan Mya Thazi Township on Tuesday morning.
“The staff officer and captain died before the two sides exchanged fire and another soldier was shot during the shooting. Three died from the military side,” said a source in Mandalay.
The colonel and captain entered a two-story building, where the PDF was based, ahead of their troops and without making their weapons ready, said a ward resident.
“It appeared that they didn’t know there were armed PDF members inside the building. They arrived in a private vehicle and entered the building. They were shot by PDF members inside the building. Military trucks arrived after that,” said the resident.
Junta troops threw bombs and used a grenade launcher to assault the building.
The officers were rescued and taken to the military hospital inside the Mandalay Palace, but they died.
Myanmar’s military never discloses its casualties but there are widespread reports on social media, including in military circles, that the colonel is dead.
The captain is reportedly from the Military Security Affairs Office.
Lt Col Aung Myo Kyaw filed a complaint against monk U Thawbita, the head of the Bawa Alin charity in Mandalay, in 2019 for defaming the military on Facebook. The monk posted that Myanmar’s military is more destructive than a natural disaster.
He was the highest-ranking junta officer killed since the February coup.
“Adjutants are responsible for administrative matters. They barely need to go outside. Military operations are normally supervised by G1 [general staff officer]. The fact that an adjutant came on an operation means the military is overstretched,” said an anonymous ex-police officer.
Junta mouthpiece the Myawaddy Television claimed four civilian resistance fighters died and eight others were detained in the clash that lasted about 90 minutes. Mandalay PDF said two of its members were killed and six were detained.
All the detainees were reportedly taken to the Mandalay Palace camp for interrogation.
There are reports that the PDF base was identified by military informants and Tuesday’s raid is connected with the previous junta raid on a PDF military training ground on the outskirts of Mandalay on May 21.
Striking military officers Lt. Min Khant Kyaw and Lt. Soe Wai Hlaing were reportedly arrested in the May 21 raid, and another striking military officer Capt. Lin Htet Aung said he had lost contact with the two and warned people to take caution if they were contacted by the officers’ Facebook accounts.
Source The Irrawaddy 23rd June 2021.
It is becoming apparent that complete national control by the Junta is more and more unlikely and they will continue to take casualties. It is also apparent that more civilians are being killed in random raids in the towns and cities by the ruthless Tatmadaw than are being killed by the Tatmadaw during military contacts.
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