Junta troops and allied militias have launched a new offensive on Lamyan Village in Waingmaw Township, Kachin State, triggering intense clashes.
Fighting between the junta and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA)-led resistance coalition has been ongoing since approximately 1:30 pm on October 2.
“In Lamyan, fighting has flared up again. Clashes broke out after the junta and allied militias launched a ground offensive. Junta forces in Myitkyina City, Kachin State, have also been shelling the area to support their troops on the ground,” a Waingmaw Township resident said.
In August, the junta sent a large force to Lamyan but had to withdraw after suffering heavy losses against the determined resistance of the KIA and its allies. Now, seemingly aiming for a second attempt, the junta has launched another offensive. The current military situation around Lamyan remains unclear.
During the fighting from August to early September, the junta suffered heavy losses, including the commander of Light Infantry Battalion 318 (LIB 318), who had been reinforced from Tanai (Danai) Town in Kachin State.
A resident of Waingmaw Township explained that, although the junta troops had withdrawn at the time, military tensions continued to persist in the area.
“The fighting in Waingmaw hasn’t really stopped since then. Skirmishes and shootouts have been happening off and on. The junta and militias have realized they can’t move forward along the main highway anymore, so they’re trying to push through the farmlands instead. But from what I hear, they’re still struggling to make progress,” he told KNG.
The junta is currently attempting to retake the Kachin State towns of Chipwi, Lang Se, Sadon, Kan Paik Ti, and Phimaw, all under KIA control and home to rare earth mines, while building up a major operation in Waingmaw Township to support these efforts.
The coup regime is also carrying out offensives along the Gwayhtu-Manwein-Mandong Road and the Putao-Khaunglanhpu-Phimaw Road to reclaim these border towns near the Chinese frontier.
In addition, fighting has intensified in Khaunglanhpu Township and the Lang Se area of Tsawlaw Township in recent days, as the junta has carried out both ground offensives and air raids.
photo credit - တော်လှန်ရေးတပ်ဖွဲ့
