The People’s Defence Force (Mandalay) (MDY-PDF) announced on 20 July that it had launched a coordinated assault on a flotilla of 14 junta vessels, including five riverine warships, navigating the Ayeyarwady River from Gawun Port in Mandalay on 17 July.

According to the statement, MDY-PDF forces carried out ambushes along the river in Madaya, Singu, and Thabeikkyin townships, blocking the flotilla’s route and launching targeted attacks. A reported tugboat transporting weapons, ammunition, and supplies was sunk, while a riverine warship and two other tugboats were set ablaze and destroyed.

Despite aerial support from the junta, which included bombings by Y-12 aircraft, fighter jets, and Mi-35 helicopters, the MDY-PDF said it managed to complete the operation successfully.

The group stated that the junta had increasingly relied on river transport due to growing resistance and logistical challenges in northern Myanmar, particularly around Bhamo in Kachin State. There, during recent clashes, two helicopters were reportedly downed while attempting to deliver reinforcements.

Local defence forces also pointed to similar operations in 2024, where joint attacks by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF), and PDF units had previously targeted junta vessels along the same stretch of the river, causing significant losses.

The MDY-PDF said it remains committed to disrupting military logistics as part of broader efforts to weaken junta operations in central and northern Myanmar.