The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) took complete control of the military council’s camp where Nambyu gold mine is located in Tanaing Township in Kachin State at around 8 am on 16 May. The KIA is carrying out the clearance, according to a frontline source.
On 11 May, the KIA launched an attack on the junta’s camp in Nambyu gold mine. In six days, the KIA captured the camp, a local from Nambyu gold mine confirmed.
“The offensive started on 11 May and ended on 16 May. Around 50-60 junta soldiers were stationed there. Now the KIA has taken a position there. As far as I know, the KIA is carrying out an area clearance operation,” the local said.
The military council suffered heavy casualties in the fighting. The KIA seized a large quantity of arms and ammunition, according to the frontline sources.
Around 50-60 soldiers from Infantry Battalion-260 and Division-86 were stationed in the Nambyu camp.
After the loss of Nambyu camp on the morning of 16 May, the military council dropped bombs there with three jet fighters, said locals.
“At around 8 am, the military council bombed it with three jet fighters. I think fighting has been taking place here for about one week. I saw the drone dropping bombs in the conflict area. I have yet to know exactly whether the camp has been captured or not,” said a gold miner from Selthein gold mining site near Nambyu.
In around 2017, the junta conducted offensives and captured all gold mining areas in Hukaung valley area, under the pretext of area clearance operation. Since then, the military council had been stationed there.
Currently, the KIA mainly controls the gold mining sites such as Selthein, Lonekyat and Nammanar including Nambyu. These are very important military bases, locals said.
“Nambyu camp is crucial for the mining site here. Because there are around three mining sites near Nambyu. I am watching these mining sites from here,” said the gold miner.
Nambyu gold mining area was a region where Battalion-14 under the KIA’s Brigade-2 was located until around 2016. The KIA camps in the village had to retreat after the military council army conducted a large-scale offensive in 2017.
Since the coup, gold mining has resumed in Payintaung, Lapu Maw, Noi Je Bum, Namkawn and Ingargar along Nambyu gold mining area, locals said.
Since March, the KIA has seized the military council’s camps stationed in Nambyu, Namkawn and Noi Je Bum gold mining areas one after another.
Sent by KNG
