Myanmar junta continues airstrikes on scam centre seized by KNU

Myanmar’s military has intensified its attacks on a former online scam hub in Karen State’s Myawaddy Township, using drones and aircraft to target villages near the complex captured by the Karen National Union (KNU) late last year. The offensive focuses on Minletpan, the village near the Thai-Myanmar border where the scam centre is located. The village was controlled by the junta-aligned Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) until it was seized by the KNU in late November. Since then, the junta has attempted unsuccessfully to retake the sprawling scam compounds, which operated under DKBA protection and employed thousands of foreign nationals, including many victims of human trafficking. In addition to airstrikes, regime forces have also fired heavy artillery at the site, with shells occasionally landing across the border in Thailand. “As usual, they are just firing from a distance. If their shells land on the Thai side, they falsely accuse and blame us. This is their standard practice,” said KNU spokesperson Saw Taw Nee. He added that while junta troops have gotten near Minletpan, they have not been able to break through the KNU’s defences. The spillover has impacted neighbouring Thai villages. On Monday, stray bullets hit homes in Mae Gon Ken, a village on the Thai side of the Moei River. Soe Paing, the village’s Burmese headman, said that junta fighter jets returned on Wednesday, dropping at least four bombs near the Pagoda Hill at the exit of Phulugyi, a village on the Myanmar side of the border near Mae Gon Ken. “It seems they are attacking from the air while pushing from the ground. No bullets hit the Thai side yesterday, but the sound was intense,” he said, speaking to Myanmar Now on Friday. “When there isn't heavy fighting, they usually send drones two or three times a day to drop bombs. Drones are always hovering; people don’t dare to gather in groups,” he added. A resident of the town of Myawaddy, some 10 miles north of Phulugyi, also reported hearing the sounds of heavy weapons and air attacks on Wednesday morning. Before the KNU’s intervention, Minletpan was a lawless zone where Chinese scam syndicates operated with impunity. During the November raid, KNU forces uncovered torture cells used to discipline those who refused to participate in the scams. Most workers have since been repatriated, but the KNU has maintained a strict security perimeter around the site to prevent the syndicates from returning. The current escalation reflects the junta’s broader attempt to reassert control over the lucrative border trade zones. However, with the KNU issuing shoot-to-kill orders for any unauthorised persons entering the former compounds, the situation in the region remains volatile.

Myanmar junta continues airstrikes on scam centre seized by KNU

Despite relentless attacks, the regime has been unable to retake the sprawling compound since it was captured from its DKBA allies more than two months ago

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