The military council is reinforcing Hlaingbwe-based Infantry Battalion (IB)-28 by transporting a large number of troops and weapons using civilian cargo trucks, in Brigade 7 of the Karen National Union (KNU) in Hpa-an District in Hlaingbwe, according to eyewitnesses from Hlaingbwe.
A local resident of Hlaingbwe who witnessed the convoy said that on 8 June, approximately four civilian six-wheeled trucks, each carrying around 50 junta soldiers along with a full load of weapons and ammunition, entered Hlaingbwe town.
“A six-wheeled vehicle covered with green tarpaulins carries about 50 soldiers each. The trucks are loaded with arms and ammunition. Because the sides and back are fully covered, they look like ordinary cargo trucks. We only knew that the military council troops were on board once they arrived,” said the local.
According to a source close to the military, the troops traveling with the civilian cargo trucks are reinforcements who have been arriving at Infantry Battalion 28, based in Hlaingbwe, since around 2022–2023 amid clashes in KNU Brigade 5 territory.
The source said, “They have been on the frontlines of Brigade 5 for nearly three years. Yesterday (8 June), they returned, transported using cargo trucks. Suddenly, people got scared. Some even turned back, fearing that vehicles and motorbikes might be seized.”
The junta’s IB-28, IB-338, IB-339, and a strategic hilltop camp are all based in Hlaingbwe. Hundreds of newly graduated military trainees from the military council have been assigned and deployed to these battalions.
In the first half of 2025, battles took place to capture camps in areas controlled by KNU Brigade 7, which includes Hlaingbwe Township, particularly along the Thai-Myanmar border.
In connection with this, resistance forces report that the camp based in Shan Ywa Thit, Hlaingbwe Township, has prepared for combat by deploying a large number of troops.
Sent by KIC