Five killed as junta troops raid, burn villages in Sagaing Region

Junta soldiers have rampaged through villages in Sagaing Region for nearly a week, destroying hundreds of homes leading to five civilian deaths as the military tried to reestablish dominance, locals said. Junta forces have been advancing into areas where armed resistance to military rule is strongest ahead of elections planned for December of this year, including parts of Sagaing Region in upper Myanmar. Troops of Tank Battalion 6006 launched raids on the villages of Htein Taw, Thayet Tar, Kyee Pin Et and others south of Kanbalu on August 15, according to the spokesperson of Kanbalu Township’s People’s Defence Team (PDT). “Two brothers from Htein Taw were captured and killed after returning to their home village to bring food to their father,” the PDT spokesperson said. There were at least three other deaths as the junta forces continued their raids over the next few days. After spending two nights in Kyee Pin Et, they started fires on August 19, badly damaging most of the village’s 500 houses. “The entire village was burned, leaving only the monastery standing. The attackers also set fire to the shops along the dam at the village’s upper edge,” said the defence team spokesperson. Residents reported that the column left Kyee Pin Et on Thursday morning, moving on to other villages on the the Myitkyina-Shwebo road, one of the routes where the junta has been trying to reestablish full control to secure its Northwestern Regional Military Command headquarters in Monywa, the Sagaing Region capital. Since July, Myanmar’s military has carried out large-scale counteroffensives against ethnic armed groups and resistance forces in at least ten Sagaing Region townships, supported by drones and local, junta-trained “people’s militias” or Pyu Saw Htee. The operations have forced thousands of civilians to flee their homes. Parts of Kanbalu Township are known strongholds of the junta-trained Pyu Saw Htee militias, recruited and overseen by the pro-military, ultranationalist monk U Warthawa. They are among the most cohesive and well-equipped pro-junta militias in the country. Kanbalu Township has become a stronghold of the Pyu Saw Htee militias, led and recruited by ultranationalist monk Warthawa An ultranationalist monk speaks at a graduation ceremony for junta-backed people’s militias in Kanbalu Township in early July 2024. (Photo: Pro-junta propaganda Telegram channel) Troops based at the Northwestern RMC in Monywa have advanced northward into Budalin Township and eastward into Ayadaw Township in recent days. Local resistance fighters said that the troops, who initially deployed to Ayadaw Township on August 8, stopped and encamped in the village of Kyauk Kar (South) before fanning out into surrounding villages. “Clashes are ongoing near Kyauk Kar. The troops appeared to have fallen back towards Monywa yesterday but the fighting continued,” a Monywa-based resistance fighter said, adding, “The village was set on fire. It may have been because they suffered heavy losses.” With resistance forces unable to assess the damage in Kyauk Kar (South) village while the column is still occupying it, the number of homes destroyed remains unknown. However, the junta’s advances and ground raids have displaced over 10,000 people from at least ten villages east of Monywa, the Monywa Township People’s Administration Team reported. A clash also broke out on Wednesday in a village in Budalin Township, in which junta troops were supported by paramotors—propelled paragliders from which pilots throw projectiles and bombs. Three columns have also started moving towards Sagaing Township, across the river from Mandalay, while continuing to conduct raids in the nearby Wetlet and Shwebo townships. Sagaing Region is one of the subdivisions of Myanmar in which the military regime remains weakest, with resistance forces controlling and maintaining their own administrations in several towns and large villages as well as most rural areas. The junta has refocused its efforts on regaining ground in certain areas of Sagaing Region only in the last few months, following years of relative passivity since the 2021 coup. At the same time, the junta has imposed tighter restrictions on the transport of essentials like medicines, fuel, fertilisers, diapers, and feminine hygiene products to Sagaing Region and other areas of Myanmar north of Mandalay. “If the columns continue their advance, conditions will become extremely difficult,” said Soe Moe Aung, who directs the civil society organisation S&C Assistance Group. “The supply of many goods has already been cut off, and shortages of medicine and other necessities could make life even harder than in previous years.” “Supplies of rice are fortunately sufficient, because it’s produced here,” he added. “But other essential goods have become inaccessible even for people who can afford them.” Myanmar’s military junta has scheduled elections—to be held in phases starting on December 28 of this year—and has imposed martial law in 63 townships across seven states and regions, including Sagaing Region. The military lost control of dozens of towns, villages, and roads to its armed opponents during the anti-junta offensive called Operation 1027 over 2023 and 2024. However, following forced recruitment under a revived mandatory military service law, the military launched a counteroffensive this year, reclaiming control of the strategically important towns of Nawnghkio, Moebye, Thabeikkyin, and Demoso in the past few months.

Five killed as junta troops raid, burn villages in Sagaing Region

The Myanmar military is fighting to regain control in Sagaing Region including Kanbalu Township, where the army conducted deadly raids and arson attacks this week

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