The National Unity Government (NUG) says the battle to recapture Kawlin, Sagaing Region, which its forces had previously captured and then lost, is not over yet, according to U Naing Htoo Aung, secretary of the NUG’s Ministry of Defense.
“Our forces are still present around Kawlin. So, we can only say that the battle is still going on. We are waging the Kawlin battle as part of the overall strategy,” U Naing Htoo Aung told the media at the NUG’s 3rd anniversary press conference on 30 April.
He said the junta forces are currently positioned in Kawlin town, while the NUG forces are present around the town and clashes are still ongoing.
On 21 April, clashes occurred between a military council column and the Kawlin District Battalion 1 in the northwest of Tan Su Kone village in Kawlin Township. Around 20 junta soldiers were killed and a large quantity of weapons were seized, according to Military Region 1 in Kawlin.
“The fighting is still going on. We asked but they didn’t tell us where exactly it is taking place. They just said ‘in Kawlin Township’. As for the roads, passenger vehicles can pass, but trucks are still blocked,” said a passenger bus driver running on the Mandalay-Myitkyina road.
The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and allied PDFs captured Kawlin on 6 November 2023. About three months later, the military council launched an offensive and retook the town.
Sent by Shanni Voice.