Junta retakes key Shan State town, launches clearance operations along Karenni border

Myanmar’s military junta regained control of the strategic town of Moebye in southern Shan State on Monday, tightening its grip on a vital gateway into Karenni State and launching clearance operations to prevent resistance forces from regrouping, resistance sources say. State-run newspaper Myanma Alin confirmed the seizure of Moebye on Monday, reporting that junta forces are now flowing along the Moebye-Loikaw road to secure supply lines and deter potential counterattacks by resistance fighters. Moebye, which lies along the road connecting Shan State to the Karenni capital of Loikaw, had been under control of anti-junta fighters for months. Its recapture follows the junta’s assault on Loikaw in June last year, where junta forces ousted Karenni resistance groups after weeks of heavy fighting. “It’s true, the junta has taken the urban area of Moebye,” Tha Eh Soe, a spokesperson for the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF) told Myanmar Now. “They have the upper hand in terms of technology—drones, jammers, and they use chemical gases, along with thousands of artillery shells.” “They have superior strength in the sky too,” he added. “That’s why the resistance forces couldn’t hold the position. We had to fall back to the outskirts of the town.” The KNDF is an armed resistance group formed by ethnic Karenni communities to oppose the Myanmar military junta and defend Karenni State. The offensives on Loikaw and Moebye mark a significant push by the junta to reassert control in eastern Myanmar, where ethnic armed groups and resistance forces have made substantial territorial gains since the 2021 coup. Resistance forces had held Moebye town for over a year. But when the junta began launching offensives early this year, fighting escalated, and the military moved to take control of the town on July 6. The junta launched sustained offensives from its base near Moebye over nearly six months, deploying airstrikes, artillery, ground troops, and drones in its assault. Karenni resistance forces—including the KNDF, Moebye People's Defense Force, Urban Revolutionary Force—mounted a fierce defense, but suffered casualties. Moebye is one of two key routes from southern Shan State into Karenni State, alongside the Hsi Hseng–Loikaw road, both now under junta control. With control over these corridors, the military has cut off major access to the Karenni region. Banya Khung Aung, Secretary 2 of the Karenni State Interim Executive Council (IEC), told Myanmar Now that the junta forces are now burning civilian houses in Moebye town. "This is what the junta always does,” Banya Khung Aung said. “They burn wherever they arrive. They do this to try to establish secure bases, they clear villages and towns completely. We know they are continuing to burn and destroy these areas.” Maui, the deputy chief of the KNDF, who goes by just one name, told Myanmar Now that retreating and moving forward is simply part of warfare. He has confidence that this is a temporary setback and not a significant loss. A PDF fighter killed in clashes around Moebye in late June, 2025. (Photo: Moebye Kywegyo Support) “Yes, we had to fall back from Moebye Town,” he said. “But you know, advancing and retreating is the art of war. We’re trying to stay balanced—the important thing for us is that we value our people, our troops. We don’t choose a path that would cost us too many lives, and that’s a key priority for us. As long as we have manpower, we can take it back whenever we want. When we’re ready again, we will take it back.” During the junta’s attack on Moebye town, another source said that junta forces were joined by pro-junta Pa-O National Organization (PNO) forces. A source close to the PNO denied its involvement in the Moebye battle, saying forces only reached Saung Nang Khae village which is east of Pekon Town. Karenni sources said Moebye has been largely abandoned, with residents fleeing to rural areas. According to the IEC, there are over 35,000 people who have fled from the town of Moebye and surrounding villages, and they desperately need food and shelter. In Hpasawng town, where the Salween (Thanlwin) River bridge is located in Karenni State, resistance coalition forces attacked and captured the junta's Infantry Battalion 134 on June 30. They also reportedly shot down a Chinese-made fighter jet of the Myanmar junta that was conducting airstrikes in early July. Karenni resistance forces are continuing to attack the junta’s remaining Infantry Battalion 135 to fully capture Hpasawng. Karenni resistance forces are active across most of the state, operating throughout the countryside and several key towns. More so, they have recently captured key military bases in Hpasawng, advancing on junta positions in Bawlakhe, and ultimately taking control of most of Karenni State since the coup.Speaking on the contrast between the junta and resistance forces, Maui said the military shows a blatant disregard for human life, including both civilians and its own soldiers. “The Burma army is just using human wave tactics. Over the past six months of attacks, they’ve lost a lot of men—many of them new recruits. They don’t care about their people,” he said. “They just do whatever it takes, no matter the cost. That’s one key difference between us and them. They don’t value their soldiers, they don’t value their people—they just waste them in battle without care.” Junta soldiers pose for a photo after regaining control of Moebye in early July, 2025. (Photo: Myanmar Military)

Junta retakes key Shan State town, launches clearance operations along Karenni border

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