The military situation in Kachin State remains tense, with fighting ongoing in Bhamo, Waingmaw, and Hpakant townships as the junta calls in and deploys additional troops, according to Kachin Independence Army (KIA).
The junta is attempting to reclaim lost territories ahead of the election it plans to hold by year’s end, conducting large-scale offensives in Bhamo, Waingmaw, and Hpakant, KIA spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu said.
“Clashes are happening constantly in Bhamo, and Waingmaw is facing the same situation. Fighting is also ongoing in Hpakant. So right now, in Kachin State, these three townships are seeing active fighting, and the overall military situation is very tense. As we all know, the junta plans to hold the election at the end of December, and we believe it is pushing hard to expand its control before then, aiming to conduct voting in more townships,” he told NMG.
He added that the junta has sent additional troops to the three townships where fighting is ongoing.
“In August, a junta reinforcement flotilla successfully reached Bhamo. Since then, its deployment there has strengthened, and its operational capabilities have increased significantly. In Hpakant and Waingmaw, its troops on the ground are from the Northern Regional Military Command. Although the junta has sent reinforcements, we haven’t seen any deployment from other regional commands yet,” Colonel Naw Bu noted.
In Hpakant Township, civilians have been killed as a result of the junta’s indiscriminate artillery shelling and drone attacks on residential areas.
Similarly, in Bhamo Township, the junta has conducted a series of indiscriminate artillery strikes as military tensions escalate.
Colonel Naw Bu acknowledged that the junta has regained control of some areas of Bhamo Township previously held by the KIA since the second week of September.
“The junta troops haven’t managed to take full control of the township as they claimed. KIA forces are still strongly positioned in parts of Bhamo, and we’re even surrounding some of their battalion headquarters. So, it’s fair to say that both sides are deployed across Bhamo, and for now, it’s a deadlock, with each side closely watching the other’s next move,” he said.
Colonel Naw Bu confirmed that on September 11, the junta regained control of the Armoured Battalion and Infantry Battalion 236, which it had previously lost.
The junta is making a strong push to reclaim as much lost territory as possible, not only in Kachin State but across the country, ahead of the election. Resistance forces said the junta is carrying out large-scale offensives to reclaim territories, with the goal of holding voting in the areas it retakes.
