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Burma coup resistance notes August 24, 2024
Hundreds of junta troops dead as Kachin seize last Momauk battalion; Kachin then press into Sagaing; PDFs attack towns surrounding Mandalay; Taungoo air base hit by missiles again.
Operation 10/27 Second Wave-------------------
Fighting is raging all around Mandalay, Burma’s second-largest city. To the north, a combination of the Kachin and Ta’ang ethnic armies and the Mandalay PDF continued their clearance of Thabeitjin Township, with the capture of a battalion camp on the Mogok highway at Pottaw on Aug. 18. At least 20 junta troops were killed and 5 were captured including a commander, and weapons were seized. (Mandalay Free Press, Khit Thit Media 8/18)
To the west of the city, PDFs continue on the offensive in Nganzon Township, where they cleared 2 junta positions last week. On Aug. 17 PDFs launched a drone barrage on a camp in Taungywabo village. Then as troops fled the camp, PDF ground fighters shot them, killing 30 out of the 50 troops there; the PDFs had thought there were only 20. Jets then bombed the village. (Mizzima 8/18) Two days later on Aug. 19 the CDSOM people’s defense force from Myaung Township in Sagaing Region crossed the Irrawaddy River and captured the police barracks at Nganmyaji in Nganzon Township, killing 10 troops and catching 10 others alive along with many weapons. Villagers welcomed CDSOM with flowers and snacks. (Khit Thit Media 8/19)
In the adjacent township of Myinchan, PDFs showered a junta stel factory with over fifty 60mm mortar shells on Aug. 18, causing extensive damage that stopped the factory’s operations. Manned by 200 troops, the factory also houses an administrative center after PDFs chased junta staff out of surrounding areas. Established with Chinese financing, the factory was closed by the semi-civilian NLD government as a money-loser, but reactivated by the current junta and relocated from Magway Region. The attack was designed to interrupt the supply of raw metal to the junta’s weapons factories. (Khit Thit Media 8/18)
PDFs in mid-Mandalay Region were able to seize one of 12 small junta camps that guard the Dandah Oo air base on the outskirts of Mandalay on Aug. 20. Troops fled the camp, which the PDFs then destroyed. The place is only 15 km south of Mandalay city. (The Irrawaddy B 8/21) The Myinchan PDF says it has been attacking six different junta positions and killed 9 junta troops including a 3-star general on Aug. 22. (People's Spring 8/21)
In Lashio, the new Kokang administration says the city hospital has been reopened and is seeing patients normally. Internet and phone services are reconnected. (Than Lwin Khet News 8/19) The Kokang have now advanced and are attacking junta camps in Thibaw Township. (People's Spring 8/22)
Meanwhile in Naungcho Township of Shan State, the junta is attempting a come-back with troop reinforcements and attacks on positions held by the Ta’ang army (TNLA). (Khit Thit Media 8/21)
Kachin-----------------
After a month-long siege, the Kachin army cleared out the 700 junta operatives from Battalion 437 in Momauk Township east of Banmaw on Aug. 19. The township is now completely liberated. Over 300 troops were killed about 400 wounded. (Khit Thit Media 8/19, 8/20)
As the battalion camp was collapsing, the junta sent a convoy of 5 vehicles from Banmaw, half an hour away, but the Kachin intercepted it before it could reach Momauk. The Kachin captured an armored vehicle and destroyed 3 trucks. Aircraft then bombed and destroyed the captured vehicle, which wasn’t operational. The Kachin seized weapons. (Burma News International 8/19)
A day later on Aug. 20 the Kachin captured a camp at Kawng Ja Yang, only 6 km south of Banmaw town. (Kachin News Group 8/20) Then the next day the Kachin and allied PDFs seized another junta camp at Myataung in Htee Chaing Township in northern Sagaing Region. The Kachin and allies are also on the offensive in Pinlebu, Indaw, Myataung, Homalin, and Kantbalu Townships of Sagaing Region. (People's Spring 8/22)
On Aug. 22 the Kachin/PDF coalition captured a key junction at Nabah in Indaw Township and are now attacking junta positions in Indaw town.
Pinlebu town was so close to falling on Aug. 23 that the junta sent 170 troops and Pyu Saw Htee terrorists by helicopter from Wantho and Kantbalu Townships to forestall a PDF victory. Fighting is ongoing. (Ayeyarwaddy Times 8/23)
The National Unity Government Ministry of Defense emphasized in a statement the importance of its role in coordination of the PDF forces involved in these northern Sagaing battles. (People's Spring 8/24)
On Aug. 21 unknown persons posted notices in several neighborhoods of the state capital Myitkyina advising residents to flee due to imminent fighting. (Kachin News Group 8/23) The Kachin army has seized the areas to the immediate east and west of Myitkyina, and plans to take the city at some point, though how soon isn’t known.
Arakan-----------------
The Arakan Army is attacking the navy base at Maung Shwe Lay, which is the junta’s last remaining outpost in Thandwe Township, home to the Ngapali Beach resort town. The AA is also going after remaining junta positions in Gwa Township, just to the south of Thandwe, after liberating Jintali town last week. Junta admin staff from Gwa have fled to adjacent Irrawaddy Delta Region. (People's Spring 8/23) The AA is also reportedly continuing to progressively reduce the junta’s remaining strength in Maungdaw, the last holdout position in northern Arakan State.
Southern Shan-----------------
The ethnic Pa-O revolutionary army, PNLA, says that during the first 3 weeks of August it killed 48 junta troops and wounded 31 during 14 battles in Sisaing Township. (People's Spring 8/24) The PNLA liberated Sisaing city in January 2024, but the junta retook it and destroyed it in April. The PNLA has not given up and continues inflicting damage on the junta.
Chin-----------------
Some residual fighting continues in Tantlan town, which is mostly controlled by Chin defense forces. On Aug. 24 a junta plane attempted to resupply its remaining troops in the town by air drop, but the food and supplies were confiscated by the Chin forces. (Khit Thit Media 8/24)
People’s Defense Forces (PDFs)-----------------
Coordinated PDFs from multiple townships briefly took control of Depayin town in Sagaing Region northwest of Mandalay on Aug. 18. Eighteen junta troops were killed, 10 were wounded, and 4 PDF soldiers died. More than 100 of their dependents surrendered and others fled. Twenty-two guns were captured along with ammunition, grenades, mortar rounds, and money, and political prisoners were freed. A reinforcement column was intercepted and stopped by the PDFs. Jets bombed Depayin and helicopters dropped reinforcements. The next day the PDFs were driven back out of the town and the junta regained control. As they did in Sisaing and Kawlin towns, junta troops burned and destroyed Depayin after recapturing it. (People's Spring, Khit Thit Media 8/18, Mizzima 8/19, (People's Spring 8/20)
For the 3rd time this year PDFs fired 107mm shock missiles into the Taungoo air base, used by the junta to bomb southeastern Burma. Four missiles struck the base on Aug. 20, killing 2 air force officers and wounding 6 and damaging an equipment warehouse; 3 other missiles were duds. It took the groups 2 months to work their way inside the security perimeter around the air base to get close enough to fire. (Myaelatt Athan 8/21)
Four days after the airbase attack, dictator Min Aung Hlaing visited Taungoo town amid tight security. Even so, a police station was blown up by urban guerrillas during the dictator’s visit. (Myaelatt Athan 8/24)
A column of 200 junta troops entered a PDF-controlled area in Phyu Township of west Bago Region, where a military train was sabotaged on Aug. 15. On Aug. 19 and 20 the PDFs intercepted and fought the column, killing 19 troops including an officer and wounding 9 more. (Ayeyarwaddy Times 8/21) Six junta administrators in west Bago were assassinated in the past 2 weeks. (Myaelatt Athan 8/21)
PDFs intercepted a column of 26 troops sent to reinforce a camp in Paungde Township of west Bago Region on Aug. 16. During a 6-hour battle 14 of the troops were killed and 6 wounded, and the column failed to arrive at the camp. Then on Aug. 22 PDFs in nearby Pyay Township fought junta troops, causing fatalities including 4 officers. (Khit Thit Media 8/23)
PDFs in Kantbalu Township cleared out 3 Pyu Saw Htee terrorist camps on Aug. 16 and destroyed the bunkers there. Most of the terrorists fled. (Khit Thit Media 8/18) Kantbalu Township was a stronghold of the junta’s Pyu Saw Htee militia strategy during 2022-23 thanks to a vein of pro-junta sentiment in some villages, but it also had a strong PDF movement. Now the PDFs have gained the upper hand.
On Aug. 21, a PDF coalition in Myaing Township of Magway Region ambushed a junta convoy, killing 12 troops, capturing 5, and getting many weapons and ammunition. (People's Spring 8/22) In neighboring Pakokku Township PDFs overran a junta police barracks at Kyapto, then burned and bulldozed it after the troops there fled on Aug. 22. (Khit Thit Media 8/22)
PDFs in Minbu Township of Magway Region ambushed junta and Pyu Saw Htee patrols on Aug. 17 and 19, killing a total of 10 of them and wounding others. (Myaelatt Athan 8/23)
Junta decline------------------
Dictator Min Aung Hlaing promoted three lieutenant generals to the rank of full general this week, while the duties of deputy dictator Soe Win were reduced. The three are notable for their unquestioning personal loyalty to the dictator. The reshuffle lends more credence to the theory of instability within the junta cabal as it suffers increasingly devastating military defeats in the civil war. (Mizzima 8/19)
As desperation sets in, the junta is making another attempt to mobilize the civilian population militarily to save the collapsing regime. One of the newly-promoted generals is trying to get local authorities to assemble residents into civilian militias, who are supposedly to be trained and armed. The junta is also gathering census information about military-aged women who can be drafted. (Ayeyarwaddy Times 8/20) These efforts come after February’s forced conscription of young men and the formation of the irregular Pyu Saw Htee terrorist brigades.
The junta had organized a local support militia made up of middle-aged and older men in Kawthoolei’s Doo Tha Htoo District near Thaton, but on Aug. 18 about 50 of these men approached the Karen army, handed over the weapons they had been given, and declared their militia disbanded. They said they had no desire to fight, and that young people are not interested either. (Salween Press 8/18) The junta relies on similar local militias throughout its remaining control area.
On Aug. 21 another such civilian militia in Pa’an District of Kawthoolei handed back to the junta the weapons they had been given and resigned. (People's Spring 8/21) Pa’an is still heavily occupied by regime troops.
As the scarcity of commodities like cooking oil deepens, the regime has issued ration books to households. The books authorize families to purchase limited quantities at prices set by the regime, as in a Stalinist economy. The system has led to long queues of shoppers trying to get oil, fuel, rice, and other basic items. (Myanmar Now 8/23) Because these enforced prices are below market prices and even below the cost of supplying the goods, ordinary importers and retailers have left the supply chain. The time lost by citizens in the pursuit of common necessities has become another major drag on the economy.
Terrorism--------------------
Junta operatives murdered 2 freelance journalists in Kawthoolei’s Doo Tha Htoo District on Aug. 21. One was working for DVB, a news source used by this bulletin. They were killed along with 2 PDF soldiers by 30 troops who raided the house they were in. One reporter and one soldier were shot while tied up. Another PDF soldier escaped. (Grant Peck, ABC News/Associated Press 8/23)
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