Myanmar Junta troops suffered heavy casualties and were forced to withdraw following attacks by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)-led resistance coalition around Hpalu Village, south of Myawaddy Town in Myawaddy Township, Karen State, frontline resistance sources said.
In an effort to recapture Hpalu and nearby areas, the junta has deployed multiple columns comprising battalions under the command of Military Operations Command 13 (MOC 13) and Light Infantry Division 22 (LID 22).
However, the offensives have repeatedly suffered setbacks as resistance forces have carried out strategic coordinated interceptions and counteroffensives, preventing the junta troops from advancing.
Notably, during clashes on August 3, the junta’s Light Infantry Battalion 203 (LIB 203) suffered a major defeat, with the entire column, including a commander holding the rank of major, reportedly eliminated, according to statements from the Black Panther Column and the KNLA.
With casualties and injuries mounting on the battlefield, panic has reportedly spread within junta ranks.
The number of wounded troops has also increased to the point that some injured soldiers have been transported to civilian hospitals in town areas for treatment.
“Right now, the junta is launching offensives with a large number of troops, but they are facing fierce resistance from resistance forces. Because the junta units suffered heavy losses, they have had to retreat every time they try to advance. We have also received reports that there are many injured regime soldiers,” a resistance fighter said.
Meanwhile, newly conscripted troops who were forcibly recruited by the junta and deployed to the dangerous frontline have begun contacting the KNLA and other nearby resistance groups to defect, with some reportedly taking their weapons with them, the Karen National Union (KNU), the political wing of the KNLA, announced on August 2.
The KNU and allied resistance organizations urged other forcibly recruited conscripts to surrender or defect to nearby resistance groups as soon as possible if they want to survive.
Amid the intensifying clashes, artillery shells fired by the junta reportedly crossed the border and landed on civilian homes and a Buddhist monastery in Mae Kon Kin Village, located in Thailand’s Tak Province, Thai media reported on August 2.
“The fighting south of Myawaddy is still raging. It is happening very intensely. Sometimes, even people from the Thai side can hear explosions. On August 2, the artillery shells fired by the junta landed on the Thai side. Thai news outlets have been continuously reporting that five houses and a monastery in Mae Kon Kin Village were hit,” said a Myanmar national living in Mae Sot, a Thai border town.
Following the junta’s artillery munitions landing and exploding inside Thai territory, Thai security forces have increased security measures along the border and placed their units on heightened alert.
The Thai military has tightened patrols along the Myanmar border. In contrast, border security forces and local authorities have issued special warnings to residents and prepared necessary protection measures and evacuation plans to ensure public safety.
