Arms Clash With PDF Alliance And KIA Armed Ethnic, 180 Soldiers Of The Myanmar Military Regime Killed

Illustration of KIA armed ethnic soldiers. (World Policy.Org/Diana Markosian)

JAKARTA - People's Defense Forces (PDF) fighters in Sagaing Region said they managed to kill 180 soldiers of the Myanmar military regime, in five days of fighting last week along with ethnic armed Kachin Independence Army (KIA).

The military regime bombarded the PDF/KIA alliance's temporary base with fighter jets, while alliance fighters sank military ships with rocket launchers and blew up personnel trucks with land mines, the local branch of PDF said in a statement on Friday.

Fighting began last Monday in the neighboring towns of Katha and Shwebu, which are near the Sagaing border with Kachin State and lie along the Ayeyarwady River.

Alliance fighters said three of their side were killed while three others were missing in action. Despite inflicting heavy casualties on the Tatmadaw (Myanmar military), they said they were forced to withdraw due to airstrikes on Friday. There were no casualties from the airstrike, said Katha PDF.

PDF said the alliance repelled attacks by Tatmadaw battalions 304 and 309 near Myohla village in Shwegu. Katha PDF fought under the leadership of the 5th battalion of the KIA 8th Brigade.

Ten Tatmadaw soldiers were killed by landmines on the first day of fighting, while the alliance killed another 60 when it fired RPGs at two military vessels in the Kout Kwae waterway, which flows into the Ayeyarwady River in Shwegu, the statement said.

Then on Wednesday more than 30 soldiers, including an officer, were killed in four different landmine explosions, the PDF said.

Fighting escalated on Friday, when Tatmadaw reinforcements arrived by land and air, the statement said. However, the alliance managed to withstand the attack, killing about 50 soldiers and wounding 70 others.

Another 30 soldiers died on the same day in a mine attack on two vehicles carrying reinforcements near Paw Ma Myaing village in Katha, PDF said.

A resident from the area told Myanmar Now they heard about 20 explosions during the Paw Ma Myaing battle as well as machine gunfire.

"The vehicle probably brought reinforcements to Shwegu and Myohla after shelling the battle there the day before," the resident said.

Additionally, there was also a battle on Saturday morning, although no further details were available at the time of reporting.

A local resident who lives near the PDF/KIA base said an airstrike destroyed a telephone tower in Myohla during the fighting.

"MPT is the only telecommunications service provider available in Myohla and since it has been demolished, none of the landlines work anymore," said a local resident.

"It was an airstrike by the military. We don't know for sure if they targeted the turret or just additional damage. Due to the airstrike including four jets, the alliance forces were forced to withdraw from Myohla this morning," said a local resident on Saturday.

The Myanmar military regime buried his body in the village lanes of Moe Tar Gyi and Moe Tar Lay, near the villages of Oak Chay, Myohla, Mat Tine, Namsang, and Subote Kone. While the injured were taken away by boat, he added.

KIA has not yet commented on the PDF announcement, and its information officer, Colonel Naw Bu, could not be reached for comment. After PDF forces killed dozens of Tatmadaw soldiers in Sagaing last month, there were reports that KIA had been assisting resistance fighters.

At the time Colonel Naw Bu told Myanmar Now the KIA armed ethnic leadership had not given an official order to support PDF fighters in Sagaing, but it was possible lower-ranking troops decided to help.

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