Myanmar regime retakes Demoso town, as it prepares to push deeper into Karenni State

Myanmar junta forces have retaken the centre of Demoso, a town nine miles from the Karenni State capital of Loikaw, local resistance sources said. Sources stressed that Karenni forces still control most of Demoso Township, including key strategic positions and heavily populated areas both east and west of the town. According to Banya Khun Aung, secretary of the Karenni State Interim Executive Council, junta forces have retaken only the largely abandoned urban centre of the town. He added that they are now preparing for a southward push to the town of Hpruso. “They first captured Doe Ngan Kha road the other day,” he said, referring to a key road in Demoso. “That means they have captured almost all of the residential wards in town. Now, they are headed towards Hpruso through the main road.”He explained that troops have also been arresting civilians, using some as human shields, and have killed several detainees, including a nurse, a villager, and members of the resistance. Demoso’s urban centre has been abandoned by civilians since 2021, but continued to host junta troops from two battalions. Reinforced by conscripts, these troops recently pushed outward from their bases, seizing ground near resistance checkpoints.However, local resistance forces told Myanmar Now that both east and west Demoso remain firmly under their control. Heavy clashes are also reported along the road between Hpruso and Demoso as junta forces attempt to expand operations there.Karenni forces have faced setbacks outside their state as well, pulling back from Hsih Seng in southern Shan State in May 2024, and later retreating from Moebye.Of Kayah (Karenni) State’s eight townships, the junta controls four—Loikaw, Hpruso, Bawlakhe, and Hpasawng—while Shadaw, Mese, Mawchi, and Demoso (including the town of Nan Mei Khon) remain largely under resistance control, according to senior Karenni resistance leaders. Shifting battle lines Demoso was largely captured by Karenni resistance forces during Operation 1111 in November 2023. However, the regime managed to hold onto their Infantry Battalion 102 and Light Infantry Battalion 427 bases, both positioned just east of the town centre. The Karenni resistance coalition is made up of the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force, the Karenni Army, the Karenni National People's Liberation Front, the People’s Defence Force, and other smaller anti-junta groups. Earlier this month, junta forces stationed in Demoso launched an offensive to seize other urban wards and a key road linking the eastern and western parts of Demoso Township. On August 14, junta forces recaptured key sites in Aung Mingalar Ward—including the police station, fire station, general hospital, and administrative office—from Karenni resistance forces.Sources told Myanmar Now that since Operation 1111 Karenni resistance had strategically surrounded the town, but deliberately pulled back to build and expand their control across the rest of the township. According to a statement from the regime, six Karenni fighters were killed during recent clashes, with some casualties also reported on the junta side.Junta expansion in Karenni State The junta has labeled its counter-offensive in Karenni State and southern Shan State as Operation Yan Naing Min, under which it claims to have recaptured key roads, the area east of Pekon Lake, and the towns of Moebye and parts of Demoso. Clashes between junta troops and Karenni resistance forces are ongoing in Demoso Township, with the junta attempting to secure control of the Demoso–Hpruso Road, a resistance source said. The regime has two infantry battalions and a training school in Hpruso Township, but Karenni resistance forces are currently blockading these positions. Military observers warn that if the junta secures the Moebye–Loikaw–Demoso–Hpruso highway and the towns along it, the road could effectively split Karenni resistance forces east and west of Demoso. Although the Karenni resistance have established defensive positions on the Demoso front, they are actively blockading and launching attacks against the junta’s Infantry Battalion 135 base in Hpasawng, and have almost taken full control of the town. Myanmar junta warplanes have pounded Hpasawng Township with near-daily airstrikes since late June, killing at least 52 people in less than two months, local sources said. The bombing campaign comes as resistance forces press toward one of the military’s last bases in the area, underscoring the escalating intensity of fighting and the heavy toll on civilians caught in the assault.

Myanmar regime retakes Demoso town, as it prepares to push deeper into Karenni State

Although junta forces have expanded their hold over the town’s abandoned urban centre, Demoso Township’s key population centres remain under resistance control

Subscribe for full access

Magway emerges as key front in junta’s strategy to claw back control of western Myanmar

Beyond the iron bars: Into a broader world of confinement

Burned, beaten, and hunted: Myanmar worker survives alleged torture in Thailand

In Myanmar’s heartland, desperation fuels a shadow trade in stolen identities

Subscribe for full access

Related Articles

Myanmar inflation hits 25% on US-Iran fuel shock: World Bank

Exclusive: American businessman arrested in Myanmar linked to lobbying dispute

Myanmar workers allege abuse, exploitation at Chinese garment factory; 50 reportedly detained

Myanmar junta chief arrives in China to boost trade ties