According to the Karen National Union (KNU) Brigade 3 sources, the military junta has intensified its offensives since May to recapture the camps it had lost in Brigade 3 territory in Nyaunglebin District of Bago Region.
To recapture these camps, the military council has launched offensives with over 200 soldiers across Shwegyin Township since the second week of May. According to an official of KNU Brigade 3, there have been clashes with the KNLA and allied forces since then.
A KNU Brigade 3 official said: “The military wants to recapture the camps they have lost. That is why they are now launching this offensive with over 200 soldiers. Together with the troops they have already deployed, there are over 300. We have clashed with Battalion 7 based in Shwegyin. From there, there are clashes between our forces and the junta’s Battalion 9 in Kyuaukkyi Township
Since the coup, the military junta has lost control of 10 of its camps in KNU Brigade 3 territory to the KNLA and allied resistance forces, bringing the total number of captured junta camps to 17, the official said.
The reinforced military columns also have modern weapon systems. As they advanced along the routes, nearby military camps provided artillery cover, prompting villagers in the area to flee their homes.
“Villagers from the Shwegyin and Kyaukkyi area had to flee. The reinforced troops have German-made vehicles, heavy weapons and drones. The nearby military camps have also provided artillery fire to clear the way for the troop movements,” the KNU official added.
Even on days when there are no clashes in the Brigade 3 area, frequent artillery shelling from nearby junta camps has damaged civilians’ houses and property, according to a statement from the KNU Central Executive Committee.
A local woman from Kyaukkyi town said: “The fighting is incessant. Now the military has brought in more reinforcements. Instead of staying in their camps, they are now going on the offensive in the area. At the moment, the fighting is taking place around Kaw Thar Say village. The junta is using heavy weapons including howitzers to attack”
According to a statement issued by the KNU on 1 June, one woman was killed and a seven-year-old child injured on 31 May when the military junta launched airstrikes and artillery attacks on villages in Kyaukkyi and Shwegyin Townships.
Sent by KIC.