44 Myanmar Soldiers Killed In Armed Clashes With PDF In Sagaing

Illustration of Myanmar security forces. (Wikimedia Commons/Maung Sun)

JAKARTA - About 44 soldiers of the Myanmar military regime were killed in three days of armed clashes against the People's Defense Forces (PDF) in two townships of the eastern Sagaing Region, according to local resistance members.

PDF claims the casualties occurred in the townships of Htigyaing and Katha. Local residents said members of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) had provided support to the local resistance. Citing Myanmar Now June 29, this collaboration claim could not be verified.

PDF Htigyaing Township announced on Monday 28 June that on Saturday night it had attacked a convoy of Myanmar soldiers on Maw Kun Taung Yoe Road, resulting in the death of 14 army personnel and wounding of seven others.

A resident of Htigyaing said it marked the first fighting in the township since the February 1 coup.

"There are no troops based in Htigyaing. They only come here for security reasons. They come and go, only stay for two to three days, quite a while now," said a local resident.

PDF's attack on their convoy, he speculated, was a consequence of the military regime's forces storming the villages.

"Before this battle, a young man from Htigyaing was killed which caused quite a strong hatred for the military," he said.

Separately, Katha PDF stated that fighting broke out in their township, nearly 100 km northeast of Htigyaing, between them and the military near Shwe Kyaung Kone village in Moetar village, on June 24. There were a reported 30 casualties on the military side.

Although there have been some local reports of KIA armed ethnic groups joining the fighting as PDF allies, Kachin Independence Army (KIA) information officer Colonel Naw Bu told them they did not give such orders to their troops, but it is possible KIA soldiers decided individually to join.

"It must have been local residents and Kachin troops nearby (involved in the clashes). That's why there has been no official announcement on behalf of KIA," he said.

As KIA is known to operate in the area, many Kachin residents believe that KIA has been involved in the recent clashes.

"They used to operate in Katha and Banmauk. KIA has just resumed operations there now," a local observer in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, told Myanmar Now.

"I'm not entirely sure KIA has arrived at Htigyaing. There is KIA's headquarters in Katha, so it's certain that they are involved in a fight there," he continued.

KIA condemns military violence against civilians after the February 1 military coup, engaged in fighting against the regime's armed forces in Kachin and northern Shan states. This includes KIA attacks on military bases and posts and on police stations.

Prior to the clashes in late June, fighting also broke out between Katha PDF and the military and police on May 30, allegedly resulting in eight casualties and 10 wounded soldiers on the side of the junta. Five KPDF members were also reported killed in the fighting.

Meanwhile, nineteen people have been detained by the regime and five have died in Katha Township since Monday's coup. The armed forces of the Myanmar military regime have largely focused their attacks in Sagaing on anti-coup resistance strongholds in the towns of Yinmabin, Kani, Monywa, and Taze, which locals say has resulted in resistance growing in other areas of the region.

Myanmar Coup. The VOI editorial team continues to monitor the political situation in one of the ASEAN member countries. Casualties from civilians continue to fall. Readers can follow the news covering the Myanmar military coup by clicking this link.