The fighting on the Military Operations Command (MOC)-21 front remains fierce as the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) escalates its offensive to seize Bhamo, Kachin State, and has now fully taken control of Bhamo airport.
Colonel Naw Bu, spokesperson for the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), said, “We have fully seized control of Bhamo airport, and there are no junta soldiers remaining. The fighting is now concentrated on the MOC-21 front, with several battalions still yet to be captured.”
Over the course of four days of fighting, the KIA and allied forces successfully captured and took control of an Armored Battalion, Artillery Battalion-366, and the airport.
Following the capture of the armored and artillery battalions on 25 January, the KIA and allied forces took control of the airport on the evening of 26 January.
Regarding the Bhamo fighting, Colonel Naw Bu stated: “On 25 January, we captured the armored battalion. Fighting continues at MOC-21. We can confirm that we have taken control of the airport. The situation is intensifying due to the military council’s aerial bombings and drone attacks. That’s all.”
Currently, there are several Bhamo-based battalions that still need to be captured, including Infantry Battalion (IB)-235, IB-237, IB-47, MOC-21, as well as the logistics unit, technological battalion, engineering battalion, training battalion, and livestock breeding battalion.
A Kachin political analyst said that the battle to capture Bhamo could last for some time.
The analyst commented, “It’s still hard to say for certain. If MOC-21 is captured, it will likely make it easier to take the remaining battalions. There are five camps near MOC-21, and after those are captured, they will move on to LIB-47. The university remains, and capturing all the locations will take a bit longer.”
To prevent losing the battalions, military council troops continue to conduct heavy aerial bombings, which has led to increasing damage to homes in Bhamo.
After the KIA launched its first offensive to capture Bhamo on 4 December 2024, it launched a second attack on 4 January 2025.
During the offensive on 4 January, fighting intensified in Mansi Township, which borders Bhamo. By 8 January, the entire Mansi Township was declared free of junta forces.
Sent by KNG
