Anti-regime allies make push to capture key town near Sagaing-Kachin border

A coalition of anti-junta groups has intensified its push to take full control of Indaw, an important town in northern Sagaing Region near the border with Kachin State. Since launching an offensive in mid-August, troops from the People’s Defence Force (PDF), the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF), and the Kachin Independence Army have managed to capture all but one of the regime’s positions in the town. After a lull in fighting in October, clashes resumed on November 1 as the resistance forces renewed their attacks on the remaining hill camp in town. Currently, heavy offensive operations are underway against the camp, known as the “Japanese Cave Hill Camp,” situated on the highest point in the town, according to a local man close to the resistance forces. “They’ve encircled the camp and are attacking it intensively. There have been casualties and losses on our side, as the regime is using airstrikes to defend its position,” said the man. The fighting intensified from early Tuesday morning, and at around 10:30am, the junta air force conducted two bombing runs near the battle area, he added. The hill camp is defended by both junta troops and members of the Shanni Nationalities Army, an ethnic armed group allied to the regime, with a total force of over 200 personnel. According to the man, no junta reinforcements can reach the camp because it is completely surrounded, and all potential routes from other areas have been cut off. He said the two main roads to Indaw—from Katha to the east and Banmauk to the northwest—are both inaccessible to regime forces on the ground.“It’s difficult for them to send reinforcements from Katha, because resistance forces control the 18-mile road from Katha to Indaw. They can’t come from Banmauk, either. And it would be even more difficult to send reinforcements from Kachin State and the south,” he explained. When Myanmar Now contacted ABSDF spokesperson Kyaw Lin about the fighting, he confirmed their forces were involved in the battle, but said he didn’t have details about the combat situation. Due to the fighting, over 20,000 locals from both the town and surrounding villages have been displaced since August 15. Indaw town is located on the Shwebo-Myitkyina road and serves as a major gateway to Kachin State. Maw Luu, a town about 22 miles north of Indaw that was captured by resistance forces late last year, was also hit by airstrikes on Tuesday. While dozens of towns in border regions have fallen to ethnic armed organisations over the past year, forces under the command of the publicly mandated National Unity Government, including the PDF, have also been carrying out operations to capture towns in Sagaing and Mandalay regions. So far, the joint resistance forces have captured Shwe Pyi Aye, Khampat, Maw Luu, Pinlebu, and Myothit in Sagaing Region and Singu, Takaung, and Thabeikkyin in Mandalay Region.

Anti-regime allies make push to capture key town near Sagaing-Kachin border

A coalition of forces has encircled Indaw and since last week has been launching attacks on its last remaining junta position

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