Junta troops push toward Kyaukme amid heavy clashes with TNLA

Junta troops advancing from Nawnghkio in northern Shan State have reached the outskirts of Kyaukme, where they are locked in heavy clashes with the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), residents said.

Junta forces stepped up their offensive in northern Shan State last month, with troops from Brigades 11 and 55 under the Northeastern Command seizing Htan Ta Pin, Nawng Pin, and Met Man villages in Kyaukme Township by late August.In recent days, soldiers captured a TNLA outpost in Hkaik Ton Huong village and have pressed on toward Nar Aik Hkant, where heavy clashes with TNLA fighters are still raging, residents said.

“The columns are moving forward with significant forces and are now getting closer,” a Kyaukme resident told Myanmar Now. “Their advance has been slow, while the TNLA has been alternating between attacking and withdrawing.”Residents said villages including Sa Khan Thar and Hko Mone, located between Nar. . .