Military junta troops have set fire to several homes in Bhamo town, Kachin State, as resistance offensives to capture the town continue, with the Thiri Yadana Market being burned down on 29 April, according to local sources.
According to a Kachin Independence Army (KIA) frontline source, the town’s market continued burning into the morning of 30 April, while large buildings in the town, struck by artillery shelling during the clashes, were also damaged by fire.
“The junta forces set fire to Bhamo’s main market. On top of that, just yesterday, they also set fire to a large number of homes in Bhamo town. The fires are still burning until today,” the source said.
The KIA-led joint forces have been launching offensives to capture Bhamo since 25 April. Within just six days of this renewed fighting, both the Bhamo market and homes have been burned and destroyed, sources said.
Meanwhile, as the Bhamo fighting continues, significant religious structures in the town have also been burned down. In February, the Roman Catholic Church compound and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Bhamo were also destroyed by fire.
During the Bhamo fighting in February and March, the junta used relentless airstrikes day and night, along with artillery and drone strikes, to prevent losing control of the town. As a result, the KIA lost some of the areas it had previously captured.
However, the KIA later launched renewed offensives and recaptured some of the lost areas, including the town’s office compound and several junta positions, while also continuing attacks on the Infantry Battalion-47, the Military Operations Command-21, and the university compound, according to reports.
As of April 30, intense fighting between the two sides in Bhamo continues, local sources report.
The offensive to capture Bhamo began in December 2024. As the conflict approaches its fifth month, the KIA-led joint forces are intensifying their offensives to seize control of the entire town.
Over the nearly five-month period of the Bhamo battle, local sources report that thousands of civilian homes have been destroyed by fire during the fighting, resulting in significant losses for residents.
Sent by KNG.