Kachin forces take town in ‘special region’ controlled by Myanmar junta ally

The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) claimed on Monday to have captured Chipwe, a town in northern Kachin State controlled by a Border Guard Force (BGF) allied to Myanmar’s military regime. The KIA and its ally, the Kachin People’s Defence Force (PDF), successfully overran a number of key junta outposts and other positions in and around the town on Sunday, according to KIA spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu. “We received news that Chipwe was taken yesterday, but we still haven’t captured the nearby tactical hill. We don’t know the situation today,” he said, speaking to Myanmar Now on Monday. Fighting was also taking place in Tsawlaw, a town about 20 miles north of Chipwe, he added. Both towns are located east of the N’Mai River, and are part of the Kachin Special Region 1, an area ruled by ageing warlord Zakhung Ting Ying, who in 2009 agreed to transform his New Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K) into a BGF under the command of Myanmar’s military. The NDA-K was formed in 1990 following the collapse of the Communist Party of Burma, which he joined in 1968 after previously serving as a KIA commander. Zakhung Ting Ying later went on to win a seat in Myanmar’s upper house of parliament in 2010 and 2015, but was forced out in 2016 after election officials ruled that his party had used intimidation against its rivals. In June, Zakhung Ting Ying ordered troops under his control to attack and “crush” KIA and PDF forces active in the area—an order that General Gun Maw, the KIA’s vice chief-of -staff, later said “should not have been issued.” Chipwe is a town of around 10,000 inhabitants located about 75 miles northeast of the state capital Myitkyina. The town has been largely deserted since the fighting began, and there have been reports of civilian casualties and damage to homes. However, few details have been available due to a lack of phone connections. Earlier this year, a major report revealed that China, which borders Kachin Special Region 1 to the east, has invested heavily in rare earth mining operations in Chipwe Township. The country imports twice as much from the region as it produces domestically. Extraction of the minerals, which are in high demand for use in batteries and other “green” technologies, has done extensive environmental damage in the region, according to the report. Last month, the KIA and Kachin PDF engaged in major clashes with junta and Kachin BGF forces near the towns of Sadung and Kanpaikti, south of Chipwe, eventually captured Sadung. KIA-led forces have also made gains in Hpakant, the famous jade-mining region about 95 miles west of Myitkyina, triggering a fierce counteroffensive by the regime that has forced most of the local civilian population to flee. Junta troops stationed in Bhamo, some 120 miles south of Myitkyina, have also been trying to retake the nearby town of Momauk, which was captured by the KIA and its allies in April. Since March 7, KIA-led joint forces have captured numerous junta army camps and the towns of Sumprabum, Injangyang, Sadung, Sinbo, Myo Hla, Dawthponeyan, Momauk, and Lwegel in Kachin State, as well as Mabein in northern Shan State.

Kachin forces take town in ‘special region’ controlled by Myanmar junta ally

KIA-led forces say they captured Chipwe, in northern Kachin State near the border with China, on Sunday after a full day of fighting

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