The junta has deployed troops to villages along the Ayeyarwady River in Katha Township, Sagaing Region, claiming the move is intended to strengthen engagement with local communities.

Junta troops that took part in the operation to capture Tigyaing Town in eastern Sagaing Region in the last week of March entered Katha Town on April 13 in a convoy of 22 vehicles, where it joined forces with the garrison unit, Light Infantry Battalion 309 (LIB 309).

Some of its troops then entered villages along the Ayeyarwady River near Katha Town, describing the move as outreach efforts. Locals said that, so far, the soldiers have not harassed villagers.

“When we entered the village, they were watching us but didn’t do anything harmful. The soldiers rented motorbikes from the village and returned them properly. They told us they’re a communications unit and said they would arrange for clinics to be opened in the villages. Maybe this is a step toward getting the government machinery up and running,” said a local from a village in the region.

Currently, soldiers are present in riverside villages including Thargara, Innywarlay, Kalon, Kyaukpon, Thanpuyar, and Nyaungchayhtauk.

Locals suggested that the junta appears intent on taking control of the main highway connecting Tigyaing and Katha. However, it remains unclear how much military force it has deployed in the riverside villages of Katha Township.

“What is obvious is that the number of soldiers who arrived in Katha was massive. They’re spread out in the riverside villages and along the Tigyaing-Katha Highway,” the aforementioned source added.

Katha Town, located near the border of Sagaing Region and Kachin State, has seen heavy clashes since December 2025, with the junta also carrying out airstrikes, prompting many residents to flee.

After junta troops regained a foothold in Katha Town, some locals have returned, while others remain displaced.