The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has reportedly captured two Myanmar Army camps – Nam Tein and Hway Hkar– – in Hpakant Township, Kachin State.
The ethnic army attacked the Hway Hkar camp in Hseng Taung village tract in Hpakant Township at around 5am on 6 January and captured the military position at around 9am, said an official from the Kachin People’s Defense Force (KPDF).
“We have taken everything. We started the attack at around 5am this morning. The battle lasted about three hours. We have taken control of two junta positions – the Hway Hkar Hill Camp and the police station. At this stage, it is still difficult to give details about the casualties,” said the KPDF official.
In the attack and capture of the Hway Hkar hill camp, the KIA and KPDF also captured the junta’s hill camp and police station and captured the police station chief alive, he continued.
“We captured the police station chief alive. Some junta soldiers escaped and we are still trying to arrest them. We are still compiling the data on deaths and arrests, it is still difficult to give details,” he said.
The resistance official also said that they were able to capture both junta positions because the military camp and the police station in Hway Hkar village are close to each other.
Between 7am and 8am, when the camp and police station were under attack, the military bombed the area twice with three fighter jets. It also fired about 20 artillery shells from the strategically important hill in Hpakant towards the battle area, according to locals.
Separately, sources reported that the KIA troops also attacked the Myanmar Army’s Nam Tein camp on Hpakant Road at around 6am on the same day.
After capturing the Nam Tein camp, the KIA troops took up positions in Nam Tein village, according to the sources.
According to reports, the KIA has been preparing attacks on Myanmar Army positions in Hpakant Township since the beginning of the year. The sources said this offensive may have been the beginning, and residents of the township have been urged to remain vigilant, said a resident of Hseng Hpa Yar village.
“They talked about their planned military campaign to capture Myanmar Army camps. It looks like they went ahead with the plan this morning. They haven’t announced it publicly. It looks like they are preparing to overrun all the junta camps in Hpakant,” he said.
In the face of fierce fighting around Nam Tein and Hway Hkar villages, some residents have fled to safety, while others from villages along Hpakant Road such as Hkun Hseng Zwut, Hseng Hpa Yar, Gat Nwe and Ta Dar Nyi Nawng also fear having to flee, according to locals.
Sent by KNG.