Armed wing of Myanmar’s Communist Party pulls back from key village in northern Mandalay Region

The People's Liberation Army (PLA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of Burma, withdrew some of its forces from Twin Nge, a village located about 25 miles north of the town of Thabeikkyin, Mandalay Region, after the junta launched a massive counter-offensive on December 5, according to a PLA spokesperson."We had to withdraw somewhat from Twin Nge,” a PLA spokesperson told Myanmar Now. “We no longer have troops in the village. We had to withdraw. However, the [junta troops] haven't captured the entire Twin Nge area. We still have forces there.” Twin Nge is a large village of around 1,000 households situated near the east bank of the Ayeyarwady River. It is strategically important as it straddles the junction of the Mandalay-Mongmit (Momeik) road, which connects Mandalay Region to northern Shan State, and the Mandalay-Myitkyina highway. On August 17, the PLA first captured Twin Nge in a large offensive. It then began besieging the nearby Military Advanced Training Depot 13, one of the regime’s last remaining military bases in Thabeikkyin Township. In response, the junta started battering the PLA with ground and air assaults. Although the PLA was forced to withdraw from some of its positions in early December, the group still has forces in the area.On August 25, a coalition of resistance forces, consisting of the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the People’s Defence Force, and the PLA, captured the town of Thabeikkyin. However, the junta managed to retain control of the Military Advanced Training Depot 13 near Twin Nge and two other bases in the area. In mid-November, junta forces initiated a counter-attack, successfully regaining some control of Twin Nge.According to local sources from Thabeikkyin, the position of resistance forces in the Twin Nge area was weakened after the TNLA announced on November 25 that it was ready to engage in peace talks with the junta. Once the powerful ethnic armed group left the village, the PLA were the only resistance forces still occupying the area. "When the Ta'ang [TNLA] said they were open to peace talks, they stopped their offensive operations and remained static," the PLA spokesperson said. “That’s when the junta forces took advantage of the opportunity and launched both ground and air offensives.” Despite the continued resistance presence, pro-junta Telegram channels have shared photos claiming they have recaptured the village. Weapons and other equipment seized by junta troops near Twin Nge (Telegram) The town of Thabeikkyin is still under resistance control, according to the PLA spokesperson. She added, however, there were a number of civilian casualties, including children, in the town during the junta's counter-offensive in November, as well as military losses on both sides. Fighting continues near Twin Nge. Due to the clashes, an estimated 10,000 residents of the area have been displaced, a local woman told Myanmar Now. "People are hiding in the forests near the Military Advanced Training Depot 13, or have fled to other villages. Some have fled to the town,” the woman said. “They're moving around to avoid the fighting. Most are no longer in the village.”

Armed wing of Myanmar’s Communist Party pulls back from key village in northern Mandalay Region

When the TNLA, a powerful ethnic armed group, ceased operations in the village amid peace talks, the junta rolled out a counter-offensive to regain lost ground

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