An alliance of urban guerrilla groups claimed responsibility for explosions targeting three junta-affiliated sites in Mandalay on Tuesday morning.
Aung Si Taw-Mandalay (AST-MDY) announced on its Telegram channel that it was behind the 6am blasts in Myanmar’s second largest city, located just 24 miles south of Madaya Township, which has seen escalating fighting between the military and resistance forces.
The explosions, part of AST-MDY’s Operation Shwe Taungpan—Golden Wings—went off at the Otaw ward administration office in Amarapura Township, the Pyigyitagon Township administrative office, and a junta checkpoint at the Kandawgyi intersection in Chanmyathazi Township.
“It happened very early. The blast was very loud,” said a woman from Chanmyathazi, adding that the Kandawgyi intersection is “a spot where they often conduct inspections.”
Another Mandalay resident confirmed the other two blasts at the regime’s local administrative offices.
“The explosions occurred simultaneously,” the source said. “While we heard that there was no damage at the Kandawgyi traffic lights, we heard that there was damage and injuries at the other two locations. Investigations are ongoing.”
Junta propaganda channels on Russian social media platform VK confirmed that explosions occurred in Mandalay, but said that there were no casualties.
Myanmar Now was unable to independently verify whether there were injuries or deaths caused by the blasts.
Similar bombings were carried out by unidentified groups in September, targeting an office of the junta’s internal revenue department, the military-owned Myawaddy Bank, ward administrative offices, and an electricity office.
Recent offensives by the resistance have been moving closer to Mandalay city, with the Mandalay People’s Defence Force fighting against the junta 75 miles away in Nawnghkio Township, across the northern Shan State border from Mandalay Region.
Guerrilla forces such as Generation Z Power and No More Dictatorship have also been carrying out attacks in and around Mandalay.
Four People’s Defence Force battalions in Mandalay District under the publicly mandated National Unity Government announced in September that they would join to form a combined force called the Mandalay Brotherhood, in order to intensify military operations in the region.
