At least 90 junta fighters have been killed in separate clashes with civilian resistance fighters in Myanmar in the past 10 days. The clashes took place in Sagain, Mage region and Kayah province of the country.
Indian news agencies ANI and Radio Free Asia reported on Wednesday (October 13th) and Myanmar’s The Irrawaddy on Monday (October 11th).
ANI and Radio Free Asia reported on Wednesday, citing members of the People’s Defense Force (PDF), a group of resistance fighters in Myanmar’s military junta, that the Myanmar military launched an operation in the Sagain area, 20 km southwest of Mandalay, on Monday (October 11th). At least 30 Burmese soldiers were killed in clashes with resistance fighters.
On October 11, Myanmar’s The Irrawaddy reported that about six junta soldiers were killed in Sagain on October 10. The six soldiers were killed when the Pal People’s Defense Force (PDF) attacked junta troops on motorcycles and express buses. According to the PDF, the express bus carrying the junta troops overturned in a mine blast. Twelve more junta soldiers were killed when they attacked a police vehicle.
Meanwhile, on the morning of October 10, the Taj People’s Comrades (TPC) attacked a group of junta soldiers on motorcycles in the Taz Township area of Sagain. The TPC said two junta soldiers were killed.
On the morning of October 9, a group of 10 local resistance groups stormed a police station in the village of Quick Yeat in Myang Township in the Sagain region. At least 15 junta soldiers were killed in the attack.
Meanwhile, a PDF landmine struck an army vehicle from Yesagio Township in the Magway area to Myang Township in the Sagain area. The number of casualties in the attack was not known. However, 20 junta soldiers were killed in an 11-hour battle with the Yao Defense Forces (YDF) in the Mage region, Irrawaddy’s report said.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government in a military coup in February this year. After the military coup, a mass uprising broke out in the country and the Burmese army tried to suppress it by force of arms.
According to the watchdog Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (APP), at least 1167 people have been killed and more than 7,200 have been imprisoned in the country since the military coup took power.
Clashes between rebel groups and Myanmar’s military have also escalated in recent months. According to the APP, there were 132 clashes between the two sides in September alone.
The army overthrew the elected government of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup on February 1 this year. Myanmar’s army chief Min Aung Hlaing led the bloodless coup. Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the NLD, are currently under house arrest.
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