Fierce battle rages as Myanmar resistance forces advance on strategic northern Sagaing town

Anti-junta forces say they are continuing their push for control of the northern Sagaing Region town of Indaw following days of fierce clashes that saw the fall of at least two regime bases over the weekend. Fighting in the area began last Thursday and has shown no signs of abating, according to a frontline source who spoke to Myanmar Now on Monday. “The battle is still ongoing in the town, and some junta camps have been captured. However, the hill where Light Infantry Division 77 is stationed is still in their control,” the source said. Despite junta airstrikes that began on Friday, the resistance forces managed to capture two camps—one located in the village of Nant Thar, about seven miles northwest of Indaw, and another at the Na Bar junction, about four miles to the east. The Na Bar camp is considered to be the more strategically important of the two because it lies at the intersection of roads leading to the towns of Maw Luu and Katha. In December of last year, resistance forces captured Maw Luu, about 25 miles north of Indaw, but earlier this year the regime launched a major offensive to retake the town. At present, the anti-junta forces are concentrating their attacks on troops stationed at the education office and the Japanese-era hospital in Indaw, according to Myanmar Now’s source. The clashes over the weekend, which included at least 20 airstrikes carried out by six aircraft on Saturday, resulted in a number of civilian casualties, the source said. “There have been some civilian casualties, including a few deaths in the Na Bar area. Some people were also injured in Indaw,” he said, adding that more than 20,000 locals from Indaw and the surrounding area have been displaced by the fighting. The groups fighting for control of Indaw include local resistance teams, the All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF), and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). Indaw is located on the Shwebo-Myitkyina road, near Sagaing Region’s border with Kachin State. It is considered an important point of entry into Kachin State, where the KIA has been engaged in a major offensive since March. In June, Kachin resistance forces launched an attack on the junta base in Nant Thar. In response, the regime carried out an airstrike that killed at least 17 civilians, including one child. Meanwhile, fighting was also reported in Pinlebu, a town located about 100 miles west of Indaw, over the weekend. However, no details were available at the time of reporting. Farther south, resistance forces reportedly captured the town of Depayin on Sunday morning, but were forced to retreat later in the day due to a junta counter-offensive that has forced thousands of locals to flee.

Fierce battle rages as Myanmar resistance forces advance on strategic northern Sagaing town

Anti-junta groups fighting for control of Indaw say they captured two nearby junta bases over the weekend

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