War Against the Junta
At least 42 Myanmar junta forces including pro-regime militia members were killed over the last four days, as People’s Defense Forces (PDF) stepped up their attacks on regime targets across the country.
PDFs occupied a Myanmar military base and attacked the base of the North West Military Command in upper Myanmar.
The attacks were reported in Sagaing, Mandalay, Bago and Tanintharyi Regions and Mon State.
The Irrawaddy has rounded up the following reports of significant attacks by PDFs.
Some regime casualties could not be independently verified.
Military regional command base bombed in Sagaing
PDFs firing mortars on Sunday at the base of the North West Military Command in Monywa, Sagaing Region. /ASF
Two military regime soldiers were killed and five others seriously injured on Sunday in Monywa Township, Sagaing Region when five PDFs used four 107mm mortar rounds to attack the Monywa base of the North West Military Command, according to Chindwin Attack Force, one of the PDFs involved in the attack.
Storage buildings at the base were also damaged, added the PDF.
Junta base occupied in Sagaing
At least 15 junta troops were killed in Myinmu Township, Sagaing Region on Saturday when a combined force of six PDFs raided and occupied a military base in Htee Saung Village, said Zero Guerrilla Force, which was involved in the raid.
At 1am on Saturday, the PDFs raided and burned down the junta base. Many regime soldiers fled the attack. Two weapons, two jammers and ammunition were seized along with other military equipment, said Zero Guerrilla Force.
Military detachment ambushed in Sagaing
A junta soldier was killed and another injured in Kantbalu Township, Sagaing Region last Friday when Pahtan Hmann-PDF used landmines to ambush a military detachment raiding a village, said the PDF.
Five regime troops killed by PDF fire in Sagaing
Five regime soldiers were killed in Wetlet Township, Sagaing Region last Friday when two PDFs used improvised mortar shells to bombard a military detachment raiding villages, said GZ Special Task Force-Wetlet, which took part in the attack.
Military vehicle bombed twice in Sagaing
A truck reportedly transporting soldiers faces a blast from PDF landmines in Wetlet Township, Sagaing Region on Saturday. /BSFF
At least five regime forces were killed and many others injured on Saturday in Wetlet Township, Sagaing Region when a 12-wheel vehicle carrying 20 soldiers was ambushed with landmines by two PDFs on the Shwebo-Mandalay Highway, said Buffalo Soldiers Freedom Force, which coordinated the attack.
At 8am on Saturday, the PDFs used 10 landmines to ambush the truck in two locations on the highway, killing five regime forces.
The truck was then ambushed again with another 10 landmines while it was slowly heading to Shwebo around two hours after the first attack. After the ambush, regime forces in the vehicle and on foot opened fire randomly and torched a nearby house.
Junta-controlled forest department office burned down in Tanintharyi
Launglon-PDF claimed that on Saturday it torched the regime-controlled forest department office in the town of Launglon in southern Myanmar’s Tanintharyi Region.
A firefight between PDF fighters and junta forces also erupted in the area. Military casualties are unknown, said Launglon-PDF.
Four regime forces killed in Mandalay
Myitnge-PDF claimed to have killed five regime forces and injured others on Sunday in Sintgaing Township, Mandalay Region, when the resistance group used bombs and weapons to attack regime forces, including junta-appointed administrators and pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia, gathered in front of the Sintgaing City Hall.
The PDF said they carried out the attack in conjunction with two other resistance groups.
Four junta troops killed by drone strikes in Mandalay
A PDF drone bombs regime targets in Madaya Township, Mandalay Region last Friday. / Unicorn Guerrilla Force
Resistance group Unicorn Guerrilla Force claimed to have killed four junta soldiers and injured three more last Friday, when it used a drone to drop bombs on regime forces in Madaya Township, Mandalay Region.
The PDF group said that they had to abort their mission after junta forces arrested two civilian families in the area and used them as human shields.
Five regime forces killed in PDF ambush in Mon
Five regime forces were killed and five others injured on Saturday night in Thaton Township, Mon State, when Hawk Revolutionary Squad used both landmines and firearms to ambush a military convoy near a village, the PDF said.
Junta forces responded by opening fire, before taking a damaged vehicle away. There were no PDF casualties in the attack, said Hawk Revolutionary Squad.
Army captain captured during PDF attack in Mon
An army captain was captured in Ye Township, Mon State on Saturday when Ye Guerrilla Force ambushed five regime troops traveling in a civilian vehicle, the PDF group said.
After a tip off, resistance fighters chased and attacked a small vehicle fleeing from a PDF checkpoint.
The army caption was captured during the attack, while the four other soldiers escaped. Ye Guerilla Force torched the vehicle as regime reinforcements headed to the spot.
Regime forces attacked in Bago
Bago Regional PDF said that its member PDFs conducted attacks on regime targets in Nattalin, Pauk Khaung, Nyaunglebin and Paungde Townships over the last four days.
Last Friday, Thayawady District PDFs used landmines to ambush two military vehicles on a road in Nattalin Township. However, the PDF fighters were unable to attack the vehicles effectively as there were civilians on motorbikes nearby.
On the same day, Pyay District PDFs also used land mines to attack junta forces operating checkpoints in the town of Pauk Khaung. Military casualties are unknown.
Last Thursday, Nyaunglebin-PDF used M79 grenade launchers to attack regime forces and pro-junta militia deployed at a railway station in Nyaunglebin Township.
Bago Regional PDF claimed also that on Saturday its member Paungde-PDF assassinated pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia leader Min Naing Oo in a village in Paungde Township.