As part of its efforts to retake Mogok Town in Mandalay Region, bordering northern Shan State, the junta has been carrying out frequent airstrikes around the town.
Around 7:30 am on October 16, junta aircraft dropped two 250-pound bombs on Upper Nyaungkone Village, east of Mogok Town, controlled by the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), destroying a poultry farm and several homes.
“A fighter jet dropped two 250-pound bombs. One of them hit a poultry farm directly, but thankfully no one was hurt. I was cooking at the time and just froze when it happened, not knowing whether to run or what to do,” a local woman told Shan Herald.
Similarly, on October 12, the junta air force dropped three bombs between the TNLA-controlled towns of Mogok and Monglon, hitting Lelgyi and Pazi villages in Mogok Township and damaging four houses. Monglon Town is located in Kyaukme Township in northern Shan State.
The junta recaptured Naungcho (Nawnghkio) in July, the first TNLA-controlled town it managed to take back. Since then, it has stepped up both ground offensives and airstrikes along the Naungcho–Mogok highway, putting heavy pressure on the TNLA.
On August 27, the junta and TNLA held talks in Kunming City under Chinese mediation. During the talks, the TNLA offered to cede Thibaw (Hsipaw) and Kyaukme towns in northern Shan State, but the junta reportedly replied that it would seize them by force.
After capturing Naungcho, the junta established a foothold in the town and launched further offensives toward Kyaukme and Thibaw. On October 2, Kyaukme also fell to the junta.
On October 15, local reports indicated that junta troops had started entering Thibaw Town. If confirmed, this would mark Thibaw as the third town lost by the TNLA.
“It seems the junta wanted to take back all the major roads important for trade with China. The TNLA offered to hand over Thibaw and Kyaukme but refused to give up Mogok. So rather than negotiate, the junta chose to attack and capture all the towns,” said a military analyst in northern Shan State.
The junta has also been launching airstrikes on other TNLA-controlled towns in northern Shan State, including Monglon, Mongngawt, Namtu, and Mantong. Meanwhile, Namhkam Town, near the Chinese border, remains on constant alert for possible airstrikes.
The junta is stepping up airstrikes on Mogok and other TNLA-controlled towns, while also intensifying ground offensives toward Mogok, resulting in fierce clashes with the TNLA and People's Defence Force (PDF) alliance.
The junta highlighted ‘peace’ during the 10th anniversary of the National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) on October 15. In reality, it is aggressively waging war to reclaim as much territory as possible ahead of the December election it will oversee.
photo credit - CJ
