More than 20 Myanmar junta troops, including officers, killed in Tanintharyi clashes

Resistance forces in southern Myanmar’s Tanintharyi Region say they killed more than 20 junta soldiers, including at least two officers, and captured nearly a dozen others during two days of fighting earlier this week. In a statement, the Dawei National Liberation Army’s Duraka Column said it launched attacks early Monday morning on regime camps in Maung Mei Shaung, a village about 10 miles northeast of the city of Dawei. According to the group, an army captain and 18 other junta soldiers were killed in the ensuing clashes. Resistance forces said they also seized a cache of weapons and equipment, including a Type-81 machine gun, 13 G3 rifles, two G4 rifles, one AK-47, three MA5 rifles, 73 G3 cartridges, a grenade, additional ammunition, and five walkie-talkies. The following day, the Duraka Column intercepted a reinforcement column of regime troops, killing five soldiers, including the unit’s commander, Major Aye Lwin, the statement said. Myanmar Now was unable to independently verify these claims, and the military regime has not released any statement on the reported fighting. The group also said it captured 11 prisoners of war, including plainclothes soldiers and uniformed police officers, along with additional weapons and ammunition. It said photographic evidence supports the claim. A military source in Dawei District reported that more junta reinforcements have since arrived at the site, where fighting is ongoing. The source added that since early February, the junta has bolstered troop numbers and conducted clearance operations while advancing through townships across Tanintharyi Region. “After resistance forces captured the camps, the junta responded with ground and air assaults, including artillery strikes,” the source said. With tensions high in Dawei and Thayetchaung townships, parts of the road from Dawei to Myeik in the far south have been closed, and residents from at least 10 villages along the route have fled their homes, according to a resident of Dawei Township. The resident also warned others living in the area to prepare for the possibility of further clashes, especially along roads used by advancing junta troops. He also urged them to contact support groups if they faced any difficulties. According to FE5 Tanintharyi, an independent research group monitoring incidents in the region, more than 90,000 people have been displaced in Tanintharyi Region over the past year. The group said the displaced communities urgently need food, medicine, and other humanitarian assistance.

More than 20 Myanmar junta troops, including officers, killed in Tanintharyi clashes

Large caches of weapons and ammunition were also seized during two days of fighting that began near Dawei on Monday

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