The junta has denied news from local sources, including Mizzima that 15 soldiers from the Military equipment factory (Ka Pa Sa) in Thayet township and 25 soldiers of the 25th Infantry Battalion from Dawei fled with weapons.

A spokesman for the junta said, “This is media propagandizing to motivate and re-energize the terrorists because of the high number of arrests and detentions of terrorists. I want to tell the people not to trust these news outlets, which often misrepresented.”

A reliable source close to the factory told Mizzima that at least 15 military council soldiers from military equipment factory (Ka Pa Sa) No. (12) in Thayet township, Magway region fled with weapons on the night of August 17.