Junta troops torch over 130 homes in Kanbalu raid

The Myanmar military raided a village in southern Kanbalu Township, Sagaing Region, on the morning of October 9, killing one resident, torching more than 100 homes, and detaining over 30 people, according to local resistance forces.Around 80 junta soldiers and pro-junta militia members stationed near Zee Kone and Kyauk Se Kan villages were involved in the raid, sources say. Troops burned down more than 130 houses, killed one man, and arrested at least 29 men and a woman—before taking them to a nearby sugar mill. The identity of the man who was killed has not yet been confirmed, a Kanbalu Township People’s Defense Organization (PDO) officer told Myanmar Now.“Htantapin sits right along the main tactical route to Zee Kone town,” the PDO officer said. “When junta troops moved from Kyauksekan and Yamanay villages, they saw cars passing through and likely assumed resistance forces were there.” “The people suffered during a sudden, lightning-fast raid,” he added, explaining that property was also stolen, including gold and other valuable items from a range of homes."The village is located very close to the military outposts…And there's only one way out. They didn't get a chance to escape. While burning, the military took whatever they could grab.” Kanbalu Township is located in the upper Sagaing Region bordering Kachin State and is a key strategic hub where junta and resistance forces are vying for control. Since late last year, junta troops and pro-military militias have intensified efforts to reclaim key roadways and expand their territorial hold.After setting up outposts along the Kawlin–Kanbalu inter-district road west of the town, the junta regained full control of the route by midyear and then shifted its offensive to the Shwebo–Myitkyina road on the eastern side, securing footholds in several areas. In September, resistance forces struck the Zee Kone police station, and in early October, they overran the Ohntaw village outpost held by junta troops, capturing prisoners and seizing weapons.The resistance officer added that, in response to the recent attacks, junta troops stationed at the Zee Kone police station and Ohntaw outpost have been carrying out violent raids on nearby resistance-held villages. The junta, which has announced it will hold elections at the end of the year, has been launching offensives to regain lost territories, and has been intensifying military operations in at least 15 townships in Sagaing Region since August.According to Data for Myanmar, an independent research organisation, more than 100,000 homes have been destroyed by junta forces and allied militias in the three years since the coup, with over 60 percent of those burnings recorded in Sagaing Region. "They are trying in various ways to penetrate our side,” the Kanbalu Township PDO officer said of the raid. “We are also on full alert and we’re preparing our defenses—ready to attack them.” Residents of Htantapin village flee their homes to escape a junta raid on October, 9, 2025. The assault left the village in ruins and forced many families to seek safety in nearby areas. (Photo: Supplied)

Junta troops torch over 130 homes in Kanbalu raid

Around 80 junta soldiers and pro-military militia members stormed Htantapin village in Sagaing’s Kanbalu Township on October 9, killing one man and detaining 30 residents

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