Hpasawng Township falls to Myanmar military after months of clashes

The Myanmar military regime has recaptured the urban core of Karenni (Kayah) State’s Hpasawng Township, known for its tin-mining sites, after junta reinforcement troops entered the town last week, local sources said. Hpasawng came fully under the control of the regime forces as the troops moved in, backed by artillery and air support, retaking the town from Karenni resistance forces who had been occupying it since last year. Short on ammunition while under attack from aircraft and artillery, the resistance forces were unable to maintain their siege of the military’s Infantry Battalion (IB) 135 base, the last junta stronghold on the outskirts of Hpasawng. They withdrew before regrouping on the west side of the township to defend the road to Mawchi, a mining site held by the resistance forces. “The military holds a significant advantage, bolstered by conscripted reinforcements, superior firepower, and airpower,” a man close to the resistance forces said. “Resistance forces, with their limited ammunition supplies, are unable to sustain a long-term siege on the junta outpost.” A major bridge at the south edge of Hpasawng, linking Hpasawng and Mese townships, was destroyed on Tuesday morning following the junta takeover, local sources told Myanmar Now. The Hpasawng-Mese bridge at the south edge of Hpasawng, destroyed on Tuesday after junta forces took over the town (Photo: Pro-junta Telegram channels) “The collapse of the bridge brings no benefits to the people here,” a Karenni State resident said. “The military will continue moving into the area regardless of the bridge. It will only make transportation more difficult for people.” According to pro-junta Telegram channels, the troops reached the urban area of Hpasawng after three months of manoeuvres on the Bawlakhe–Hpasawng road. The troops skirmished with resistance forces in villages less than two miles north of Hpasawng in early February. Karenni resistance forces have been fighting the junta in the area since July of last year, capturing the IB 134 base and shooting down a junta fighter jet as they secured control of the town. The resistance forces besieged the IB 135 base after failing to capture in the face of lethal junta airstrikes and shelling. Control of the town will allow the military to bolster its defences in the area to control the territory west of the Thanlwin (Salween) River, according to military analysts. “It is unlikely the military will launch an offensive toward Mese Township,” explained Captain Zin Yaw, a defector from the military who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement. “Instead, its focus is expected to remain on consolidating control over the west bank of the Thanlwin, reopening key transport routes and potentially advancing towards Mawchi.”

Hpasawng Township falls to Myanmar military after months of clashes

Running low on ammunition and unable to maintain a siege on a junta base outside Hpasawng, resistance forces have regrouped to defend the route to Mawchi, where they continue to control important mining sites

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