The junta’s ships traveling along the Ayeyarwady River from Shwegu Township to Bhamo Township in Kachin State have retreated after being fired upon by defense forces, according to military sources.
In the early morning of 17 September, five military ships docked at a jetty in Shwegu Township were attacked at the entrance of Zin Bon village along the Ayeyarwady River while en route to Bhamo Township, according to frontline sources from the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).
A KIA frontline source stated, “This morning (17 September), the KIA and People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) targeted five ships departing from Shwegu between 9 am and 10 am. Two of the ships were damaged in the attack, after which all the vessels retreated to Shwegu.”
At around 8 am when the military ships started leaving Shwegu jetty, the military council conducted airstrikes. We saw the ground column advancing to conduct a raid in Shwegu town, a PDF member said.
A member of the Shwegu Township PDF stated, “At around 8 am, the military ships began to depart. We noticed ground forces getting ready for an offensive at the exit signboard of Shwegu. The junta was continuously firing, and the ships also engaged in constant firing.”
In the last week of August, military ships departed from Gaw Wein jetty in the Mandalay Region and encountered ongoing attacks from defense forces along the Ayeyarwady Region.
As a result, the military ships remained docked at the jetty for about 10 days upon reaching Shwegu Township. According to military sources, the junta faced attacks from defense forces while en route to Bhamo Township, despite having made the necessary preparations.
Continuous air support and indiscriminate shelling along the river resulted in the deaths of at least 11 civilians in the villages near Ayeyarwady River.
Sent by KNG