Myanmar military closes in on Singu

Regime forces bombed a mining village and took territory in southern Singu Township, Mandalay Region in the past week, advancing to within ten miles of the township’s urban centre, according to resistance sources. Fighting erupted in Singu Township on December 6 and lasted for a stretch of five days, with junta forces seizing the villages of Ta Yaw Pin and Shwe Pyi on the Mandalay-Myitkyina road some 12 miles south of Singu. They reached the village of Nyaung Wun by Thursday, resistance fighters said. Resistance forces have retreated gradually ahead of the junta forces’ advance, unable to fend off the advancing infantry columns supported by drones and heavy artillery. “They have been pushing towards Singu in two or three columns. We would have had the advantage in a battle between ground forces, but with the drone and artillery strikes we have been forced to retreat,” a resistance source on the front said. Other fighters confirmed the military’s varied, multipronged tactical approach. “We managed to hold Shwe Pyi village for a few days, but it fell this morning,” a Pyin Oo Lwin District-based resistance officer said. “The enemy attacked from several directions in a coordinated offensive.” The officer added that, despite holding their defensive positions, the coalition of resistance forces was gradually pushed back by junta drone strikes. “They’re using fewer airplanes now but continue to deploy drones,” he added. “When they reached the village next to Shwe Pyi, we suffered heavy losses from drone strikes before they arrived. But we’re still defending to the best of our ability.” Junta forces kept pushing forward, continuing to assault Nyaung Wun some two miles north of Shwe Pyi as late as Thursday afternoon. Similarly, on the afternoon of December 11, junta forces reportedly launched airstrikes on Let Pan Hla Village, over four miles east of Singu Town and nearly six miles north of Nyaung Wun Village. Myanmar Now is still investigating the damage and casualties. Let Pan Hla village is a commercially important village hit several times in the past by junta airstrikes. Along with their allies, the Mandalay Region People’s Defence Forces (MDY-PDF)—operating under the command of the National Unity Government—took over Singu in July of 2024. Amid recent developments in Myanmar’s internal conflict, resistance fighters said they will likely be unable to hold the town for the long term. “Singu is at high risk of being lost,” the resistance source at the front said. “The MDY-PDF has largely withdrawn, leaving only a few troops, while the people’s frustration grows. Only the local battalions and units are still defending the town.” Displaced people in Singu Township on December 10 (Photo: Moe Oo) After recapturing Madaya Township, junta forces began their advance northward to Singu on November 26 and reached the town’s outskirts within two weeks. The fighting in Singu, Madaya, and Thabeikkyin townships north of Mandalay has left the resistance in control of only one township in the area, Tagaung, while displacing tens of thousands of civilians. The inhabitants of Singu Township mainly depend on agriculture and gold mining for their living. Nearly half the town of Singu has been destroyed by bombing, according to a former resident, forcing a mass exodus. “Those who could afford to leave have already done so, while those who cannot are uncertain whether to flee south or north and are going through great hardship,” she said. Some have fled across the Ayeyarwady River seeking refuge in Sagaing Region or gone downriver to find shelter in the woods around Mandalay. “To reach Mandalay, we would have to take a lengthy detour by motorboat because the junta now controls the jetty at Htone Gyi. People needing to relocate mostly have to move north now,” the Singu resident said. “Singu is on the verge of falling,” she added. “The MDY-PDF isn’t defending it at all. It’s been a month since their fighters’ families left. They offered a million kyat [US $250] to those who didn’t leave. Everyone left quietly, without helping or informing the people.” Myanmar Now contacted the MDY-PDF spokesperson for comment on their forces’ withdrawal from Singu but had received no response at the time of reporting.

Myanmar military closes in on Singu

As the junta forces step up drone strikes, shelling, and ground assaults on the resistance-held town on the Ayeyarwady River north of Mandalay, resistance forces are steadily falling back

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