A large-scale attack on a police station in northern Magway Region’s Myaing Township ended on Monday after regime forces opened fire on resistance fighters from two helicopters, forcing them to retreat.
Sources involved in the attack told Myanmar Now that hundreds of resistance fighters from several different groups mounted an assault on the police station in Ba Hin, a village about 27km northwest of the town of Myaing, at around noon on Monday.
The resistance forces were close to taking control of the police station when two helicopters appeared at around 4pm, according to the leader of one of the groups that took part in the offensive.
“We were about 80% successful in our effort to take the police station, but then the helicopters arrived and started to fire on us. We retreated to avoid losing members,” said Japan, the leader of a group calling itself the People’s Revolution Army.
A resident of Ba Hin told Myanmar Now that the retreat began about 30 minutes after the arrival of the helicopters. He added that he didn’t know how much damage had been done because he still hadn’t returned to the village.
According to Japan, at least nine junta soldiers were killed in the clash and two resistance fighters were injured. Around 60 soldiers and police were inside the police station at the time of the attack, he added.
The military has not released any statements about the incident, which came amid an intensification of fighting in the region in recent weeks.
