National Unity Government Claims 2,300 Myanmar Military Regime Troops Killed During December

The KNLA announced the arrest of soldiers of the Myanmar military regime and the weapons they had seized. (Twitter/@KnIC_Karenni)

Pemerintah Persatuan Nasional Klaim 2.300 Pasukan Rezim Militer Myanmar Tewas Sepanjang Bulan Desember

JAKARTA - The government of parallel National Unity (NUG) claims about 2,380 soldiers of the Myanmar military regime have been killed, while around 600 others have been injured over the past month.

Between December 7 and January 6, 1,077 explosions and attacks targeting junta forces were reported across the country, except in Rakhine State.

Citing The Irrawaddy January 10, reports and data on the number of victims of this junta cannot be independently verified. Meanwhile, the military regime could not be reached for comment.

However, the Shadow Ministry of Home Affairs, which maps out reports from insurgents, media, and residents, said there may be more attacks that go unreported.

The previous month, about 788 incidents were reported with 2,117 regime soldiers killed and 682 injured. The Sagaing region, where the People's Defense Forces (PDF) is most active, reported the most attacks in December with 246 ambushes and explosions.

The Sagaing resistance group claimed their hit and run tactics and landmine attacks inflicted heavy losses on the junta. In response to this, the regime's air force has responded with airstrikes and by dropping reinforcements.

However, the Sagaing Region reported the most attacks against regime forces in November, with 209 incidents recorded.

Meanwhile, the State of Karen reported 244 incidents between the regime and the PDF and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the armed wing of the Karen National Union during last December.

Heavy clashes broke out in mid-December after junta forces stormed Lay Kay Kaw in Myawaddy Township near the Thai border. The regime claims democracy activists and PDF members are hiding in the new city controlled by the KNLA.

Heavy fighting and junta air strikes have since been reported with a large number of junta soldiers, including commanders, reported killed. Several thousand civilians have fled to Thailand to escape the fighting.

Previously, the state had reported only 22 clashes in November. After reporting 45 attacks and 173 explosions targeting regime forces in Yangon, the city has become the third most violent area in the country.

Separately, some resistance groups in the commercial capital have urged residents to avoid junta forces and regime-controlled government offices because they may be attacked.

The Yangon resistance group reported 32 attacks and 118 explosions targeting regime forces in November.

To note, the military regime continues to commit atrocities, including arrests, use of hostages, arbitrary killings, burning alive, mass killings, use of civilian prisoners as human shields, bombing of residential areas, looting and burning of houses and sexual violence, especially in areas Sagaing and Magwe and Chin, Shan, Kayah and Karen stated.

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