Civilians killed as Myanmar regime intensifies air, ground attacks north of Mandalay

Areas north of Mandalay have seen fierce fighting in recent days as Myanmar’s military steps up its attacks on resistance-held territory near the country’s second-largest city, according to local sources. In Madaya Township, the regime bombed Htan Pin Kone, a village about 18 miles from Mandalay, for two consecutive days over the weekend, residents told Myanmar Now. Junta ground troops advancing into the area also set fire to civilian homes, they added. “Fighting is taking place near [the town of] Madaya and in villages close to Mandalay. The situation remains unstable,” said a man in his 20s, adding that clashes have erupted along routes that could be used by resistance forces to advance toward Mandalay. According to the man, the military also shelled and dropped two bombs on the nearby village of Aung Tha Pyay on June 5. The Alpha Cement Factory captured by the Mandalay People’s Defence Force (MDY-PDF) last July is located just outside of the village. “There were civilian casualties and injuries, but we can’t yet confirm the details,” he said. The MDY-PDF has not released any statement regarding the ongoing clashes in Madaya Township. A resistance fighter active in Madaya said that while the junta still controls the western part of the township, anti-regime forces are firmly established in other areas. “We control more than half, and our administrative system is functioning in the areas under our control,” he said. However, the conflict has taken a heavy toll on local civilians, displacing thousands who are struggling to meet basic needs, according to a man assisting villagers forced to flee their homes. “They need shelter and warm clothing, especially now that it’s the rainy season. Boats are also urgently needed,” he said. He added that most are surviving by doing odd jobs or working as daily wage farm labourers, as there is no access to Mandalay to do business or find other forms of employment. Serious clashes for control of Madaya Township began in June 2023. Since then, the MDY-PDF and allied groups have captured 32 junta camps, including a security post at the Alpha Cement Factory, and a gold mine owned by Maung Ko, the former junta-appointed chief minister of Mandalay Region. Meanwhile, the regime also carried out an airstrike on a village in Singu Township, north of Madaya, on Monday, killing one woman and injuring three others at a 16-bed hospital located about nine miles from the town of Singu. The attack targeted Kyi Tauk Pauk, a densely populated village that was also hit on May 10. Five people, including two children, were killed in that incident. Monday’s attack was carried out using a 250-pound bomb, according to a statement from the Pyin Oo Lwin District People’s Defence Team (PDT). There was no fighting in the area at the time, the statement added. On June 6, a monastery in the village of Kyet Yoe Pin in Thabeikkyin Township, north of Singu, was also bombed, killing a monk who was sheltering there after being forced to flee ongoing clashes. Four others, including two 16-year-old boys, were injured in the attack. In April, Thabeikkyin endured over 20 airstrikes, resulting in more than 50 deaths, according to the Pyin Oo Lwin District PDT.

Civilians killed as Myanmar regime intensifies air, ground attacks north of Mandalay

The attacks targeted resistance-held villages in three townships, killing an unknown number of civilians over the past week

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