Clashes have erupted in Mogok, the key ruby-mining town in Mandalay Region, following the entry of junta troops on 1 December under a deal reportedly mediated by China.
Local residents and resistance forces confirmed renewed fighting, with heavy weapons fire audible in the town’s eastern section as of 12:30 pm on Friday, according to Mizzima sources.
“It’s not in the west, it’s in the east. They are in a skirmish," a resistance source in Mogok Township told Mizzima, confirming active combat.
The renewed violence comes after a significant contingent of junta soldiers advanced into the town on the evening of 29 November.
Junta forces subsequently pushed toward the western side of the town on 30 November, leading to a clash with People’s Defence Force (PDF) units and other revolutionary groups between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 pm.
The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) also confirmed an engagement around 8:00 pm on 30 November near the border of Mogok and Moemit townships, where its Brigade 4 and Battalion 34 are based.
“We heard there was fighting between Mogok and Moemit around 8 pm. We are still inquiring about the follow-up situation,” KIA spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu told Mizzima, adding that the specific target of the junta column whether it was attempting to enter Moemit or encountered a security patrol was unclear.
Resistance forces had previously withdrawn from both Mogok and Moemit as early as 20 November, positioning themselves outside the towns ahead of the junta's mediated re-entry.
Junta troops have now established a presence at several key locations across the town. In eastern Mogok positions include Basic Education High School No. 1, Mogok General Hospital, the Strategic Hill, and entry/exit points such as Pein Pyit, Five-Mile Gate, and Pan Ma Hteik.
In western Mogok troops are reportedly stationed at the police station, near the Yay Htwet Gyi village exit, and at Kyauk Phar Gate.
The arrival of junta forces under the China-brokered agreement, followed by the immediate return of fighting inside Mogok, has led to a sharp rise in “tension and fear” among local residents, sources said.
