The junta has launched a large-scale offensive targeting the Kachin Independence Army (KIA)’s strategically important Nambyu military base and gold mining sites in Danai Township, Kachin State, according to local residents and frontline KIA sources.
The junta’s offensive began in the second week of December and fighting remains ongoing, with it continuously deploying drones, artillery shelling and airstrikes in an effort to gain the upper hand over the KIA.
The junta’s relentless offensive has forced KIA troops to withdraw from some defensive outposts under KIA Battalion 14 near the Nambyu base and the Lamonkha gold mining area.
The junta, in collaboration with its allies, the Warazut militia group and Shanni militia factions, is also attempting to seize control of amber and mining sites near the Nambyu base, according to sources on the ground. Due to fierce fighting, tens of thousands of gold miners have fled to Danai Town in search of refuge.
“It’s no longer safe to stay at the mining sites. I arrived in Myitkyina last week and have been taking refuge here since then. Many miners are still left behind at the sites. When I was there, artillery fire could be heard almost every day, and no one dared to work. Some miners stayed on, hoping the fighting would die down soon,” said a miner now sheltering in Kachin State’s capital, Myitkyina.
The junta’s Danai-based Regional Operations Command (ROC) has repeatedly shelled mining areas with artillery and ordered miners to leave immediately.
The sudden influx of displaced people has caused rental fees in Danai Town to nearly triple, locals told DMG.
For instance, house rents that used to be around 200,000 MMK per month have risen to 500,000 MMK, making it difficult for low-income displaced families to afford housing.
“Locals believe the junta is attacking Danai to expand its territory for the election it’s overseeing. But right now, people aren’t even thinking about voting, they’re just trying to survive. For those who can’t even afford to rent a house in Danai Town, the junta’s election is meaningless,” said a Danai resident.
Military analysts suggest that the junta is currently conducting a major offensive aimed not only at exerting military pressure on the KIA but also at gaining more territory ahead of the election.
