Myanmar junta loses troops, bases, one more town in five days of resistance attacks

The Myanmar junta lost another town and more bases as well as nearly a dozen troops in the past five days as People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) continued their attacks on regime targets across the country, The Irrawaddy reports.

Incidents were reported in Shan and Rakhine states and Sagaing, Mandalay and Magwe regions.

The Irrawaddy has collected the following reports of significant attacks from PDFs and EAOs.

Some military casualties could not be independently verified.

The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) claimed to have taken complete control of Mantong Town, northern Shan State last Friday after four days of intense clashes with regime bases and police stations

In its failed attempts to defend the town and bases nearby, the junta conducted 265 air strikes and 1,038 bombardments as well as 137 artillery strikes.

The Brotherhood Alliance of the TNLA, Arakan Army (AA) and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) launched Operation 1027, the biggest and best-coordinated offensive of the anti-regime revolt so far, across northern Shan State on Oct. 27. It has seized around 300 junta bases, nine towns and vital trade routes with China in northern Shan.

On Sunday, clashes between the TNLA and junta forces continued to break out in Namtu and Muse townships in northern Shan.

Clashes erupt in Rakhine’s ancient city Mrauk-U

The Brotherhood Alliance said its member the Arakan Army (AA) engaged in clashes with regime forces from Ngwe Taung Pauk Police Station and the junta’s Thu Taw Ma Taung base in Mrauk-U town, Rakhine State at 4 a.m. on Sunday.

After the clashes, the junta bases shelled civilian areas nearby. On the same day, military light infantry battalions 540 and 377 used over 100 mortar explosives to bomb nearby villages in Mrauk-U Township, killing three civilians and injuring five including children, the ethnic alliance said.

The AA has widened Operation 1027 into Rakhine State, launching anti-regime attacks there since Nov. 13.

Military unit bombed by drones in Sagaing

Myingyan District Drone Team said it used improvised remote-controlled airplanes to conduct three drone strikes on a military unit carrying rations from Kyauk Yit Police Station in Myaung Township, Sagaing Region on Sunday, injuring a junta soldier.

The junta unit was bombed as it arrived in Na Noon Kine and Shwe Ta Chaung villages.

Regime forces killed in mine ambushes in Mandalay

At least five regime forces were killed and five injured in Myingyan and Natogyi townships, Mandalay Region in the past three days as local People’s Defense Force groups ambushed military vehicles with land mines, according to the resistance groups.

Natogyi PDF said it used a cluster of five land mines to ambush three military vehicles traveling from Myingyan to Natogyi last Friday, killing two regime forces and injuring two others while destroying a military vehicle.

On Dec. 21, it also used land mines to ambush regime forces traveling from Mahlaing Township to Natogyi with a small vehicle, but military casualties were unknown.

Natogyi Regional Defense Force said it and four other resistance groups also ambushed a military vehicle in Myingyan Township last Wednesday, killing two regime forces and injuring two others.

Junta troops bombed in Magwe

The resistance group Myingyan Black Tiger (MBT) said it used a 40-mm rocket-launched bomb and a grenade to bomb regime forces gathering at the junta-run township General Administration Department office in Yesagyo Town, Magwe Region on Saturday night after being tipped off by military informants.

Some regime forces are thought to have been killed or injured, as the bombs hit their targets, the resistance group said.

A video shows MBT troops silently approaching and launching an explosive at a military target.

Junta forces killed in resistance ambush in Magwe

At least six junta soldiers and pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia members were killed in Gangaw Township, Magwe Region last Thursday when Chinland Defense Force (Kalay-Kabaw-Gangaw) and other local resistance groups jointly ambushed regime forces in Anauk Taw Village, the resistance group said.

Regime forces were ambushed while patrolling outside the village.