Myanmar regime forces capture and kill six resistance fighters in Mandalay Region

Regime soldiers posing as members of the resistance lured six anti-junta fighters to their death in Mandalay Region’s Taungtha Township on Monday, according to resistance sources. The incident occurred in Thar Yar Gyi, a village about five miles northwest of the town of Taungtha, said Sai Ja Lu, leader of the Myingyan Township People’s Defence Team (PDT). “I heard the junta soldiers were disguised. They mingled with members of our group while they were out for a walk, pretending to be from another battalion,” he said, speaking to Myanmar Now on Tuesday. “When they reached a certain location where their unit was waiting, the soldiers used force to arrest and beat our members,” he added. Soon after the resistance fighters were captured, others arrived on motorcycles and attempted to rescue them. The ensuing battle continued until the regime forces started receiving air support, according to Sai Ja Lu. “Our members had to withdraw due to the airstrikes and were unable to retrieve the bodies of our fallen soldiers. In the evening, the junta troops looted the village and set fire to people’s houses, shouting, ‘Come and take the bodies, if you dare,’” he said. According to Sai Ja Lu, among those killed was the Myingyan PDT’s second-in-command, Hla Myo Kyaw, who he described as a veteran activist engaged in resisting military rule since the nationwide pro-democracy uprising of August 1988. Hla Myo Kyaw, who was killed after being captured by junta forces on September 16 (Supplied) On Tuesday, the Myingyan chapter of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions issued a statement honouring Hla Myo Kyaw’s commitment to the fight against military dictatorship. According to an official from the Taungtha Township People’s Action Committee, the bodies of five victims were recovered on Tuesday, and funeral arrangements are being made. In a statement issued on Monday, the regime said that it had carried out a “clearance operation” in Thar Yar Gyi earlier in the day, capturing two guns and eleven mines. “The air force was deployed to counter the enemy, who were reinforced by surrounding troops, and the fighting concluded in the evening,” the statement said, adding that the resistance forces suffered heavy casualties in the fighting. A coalition of resistance forces has been waging an offensive in southwestern Mandalay Region since early last month. Called the “Myingyan District Special Operation,” it includes three townships—Myingyan, Taungtha, and Natogyi—east of the Ayeyarwady River, with a combined population of around 750,000. In response, the regime has recently begun deploying more troops to the area to counter efforts to disrupt its administration, according to resistance sources.

Myanmar regime forces capture and kill six resistance fighters in Mandalay Region

The victims were ambushed after being lured by junta soldiers posing as members of another battalion of their group

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