There is growing suspicion that a recent surge in enemy raids on People's Defense Force (PDF) camps, with precise knowledge of their locations, might be attributed to the presence of a traitor within the PDF ranks who is leaking information to the Junta, according to officials from the resistance force in Sagaing Region.
On July 2nd, a Military Council unit comprising approximately 100 soldiers conducted a raid on Talaing village in Sagaing, killing 5 PDF members, who were stationed at the village entrance as guards.
"Details regarding the Talaing village incident are currently under investigation. There is a possibility that the targeted raids on PDF camps scattered along the Ayeyarwady River in Sagaing are the result of the Junta forces obtaining specific information”, an official of the 3rd PDF Battalion of Sagaing District remarked.
Over the course of more than two years following the coup, Sagaing, situated in upper Myanmar, has emerged as one of the regions hardest hit by aggressive military regime operations. Almost every day, skirmishes have taken place in Sagaing Region, and since June, there has been a noticeable increase in unexpected raids targeting local PDF camps.
As per the data gathered by KNG, on June 25th, a PDF camp in Kintaw village, Sagaing, was raided, resulting in the tragic loss of 17 PDF members. On June 28th, an ambush took place near Talaing village, situated between Sagaing and Wetlet townships, claiming the lives of 14 more PDF members.
Starting from May, the Military Council has adopted covert tactics to launch targeted attacks on PDF camps by exploiting precise knowledge of their locations. Contrary to their previous strategy of utilizing overwhelming force, the Military Council now conducts raids with reduced manpower, and employs guerrilla tactics.
An official of Pyinoolwin Red Dragon guerrilla group, based in Sagaing Region, said that the observed changes in the Military Council's tactics, could be attributed to the possibility of a traitor within the ranks of PDF.
"As Sagaing is situated in close proximity to Mandalay and has become a stronghold of resistance, our adversaries have been conducting military operations with a heightened level of seriousness. In the instance of Samun village, it appears that they had prior knowledge that PDF had prepared homemade rockets. The ongoing raids on the camps could be attributed to the negligence of PDF members on guard duty or the presence of traitors, as the Military Council managed to evade the minefields to approach the camps”, he said.
An official from the Zero guerrilla group has emphasized the need for heightened vigilance among the resistance teams, urging them to enhance their security measures. The official expressed concerns about the potential growth of the enemy's intelligence capabilities and their evolving operational strategies.
In light of these losses, we acknowledge that our resistance forces had vulnerabilities within our own ranks. There were instances of negligence during guard duties, as well as delays in obtaining crucial information”, said Bo Thet Kyi, a leader of Zero guerrilla group.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) has recently released an update on the number of casualties in Myanmar since the military coup and the subsequent period of the Spring Revolution. As of July 3rd, the AAPP reports that the total number of individuals who have lost their lives has tragically risen to 3744.
