A tense military situation between the junta and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) continues in Waingmaw, Bhamo, and Hpakant townships of Kachin State, with civilian casualties rising amid ongoing junta offensives, according to locals and resistance sources.
On November 25, junta troops and allied Shanni Nationalities Army (SNA) forces attempted to advance on Kuday and Sankywei villages in Hpakant Township, but the KIA and a People’s Defence Force (PDF) resistance coalition fought back, halting the advance and sparking clashes.
“The junta-SNA column had about 50 soldiers. Resistance forces think the junta is carrying out these operations to expand its control ahead of the election,” said a Hpakant local.
The KIA-PDF coalition eliminated 10 enemy troops, including the commander of the junta’s column, and captured several soldiers alive, locals reported on November 26, a day after the clashes. A Kachin PDF member was also killed during the armed clash.
A junta column is currently stationed in the monastery and school in Kuday Village, raising fears among locals that their presence could trigger renewed fighting.
Resistance forces believe the junta is launching a major military operation to expand its control ahead of the election it will oversee.
On November 25, the junta’s indiscriminate artillery fire struck the fire station in Kuday Village, injuring a firefighter from shrapnel.
Furthermore, on November 24, skirmishes between the KIA and the junta erupted near Lumyan Village in Waingmaw Township, with artillery fire injuring two residents of nearby Wuyang Village. On November 20, a civilian was killed in a drone strike carried out by the junta in Waingmaw Township.
In Bhamo Township, the junta is launching an offensive with ground assaults, airstrikes, and artillery bombardments to retake lost territories.
“Also in Bhamo, the junta is using ground, air, and artillery attacks to try to take back lost territory, so tensions on the ground keep rising,” said a KIA source.
Rising military tensions in the region have displaced thousands of residents in Hpakant, Waingmaw, and Bhamo townships, with the number of people fleeing continuing to grow. Displaced residents have not dared to return home due to fears of junta airstrikes and continue to face numerous hardships.
photo credit - CJ
