Myanmar regime retakes key town southwest of Mandalay

Myanmar’s military succeeded on Monday in recapturing a resistance-held town in Mandalay Region’s Ngazun Township, weeks after launching a major counteroffensive in the area. Regime forces began their effort to retake Ngan Myar Gyi, in the western part of the township, on October 8. It had been under the control of anti-junta groups since August 19. According to a local resistance leader, the junta deployed ground, air, and naval forces in its two-week-long campaign to regain control over the town, located about 40 miles southwest of Mandalay. “Their ground forces kept advancing, with naval support. They also carried out daily airstrikes on village after village,” said Nway Oo, of the Civilian Defence and Security Organisation of Myaung. Ngan Myar Gyi is located on the eastern bank of the Ayeyarwady River, opposite the resistance stronghold of Myaung Township in Sagaing Region, and just six miles north of an important junta naval port in the village of Si Mee Khon. The area is also just west of Tada-U, site of a major air force base. “Because it is close to Tada-U and the southern entrance to Mandalay, they absolutely could not afford to lose this area, so they fought desperately to take it back,” said Nway Oo. A resident of the area told Myanmar Now that thousands of people living in Ngan Myar Gyi and six nearby villages have been forced to flee their homes. “The junta troops were burning houses and shooting everyone in sight, so it was a choice of run or die,” he said, adding that rainy weather and the presence of so many junta troops in the area has made it difficult for many of the displaced to find shelter. “Some are staying in nearby villages where they know people, but others are living in their carts. Some who were hit by artillery fire have been taken to hospitals across the river. A lot is happening here,” he said. Meanwhile, intense fighting has also been reported in Madaya Township, north of Mandalay, where the regime has been conducting clearance operations in villages along the Ayeyarwady River to slow the advance of resistance forces towards Myanmar’s second-largest city. On September 21, the junta launched a major offensive with air support in the western part of the township, forcing resistance groups based in the area to withdraw from their camps.Areas north of Madaya, including Singu and Thabeikkyin townships, remain under the control of resistance forces since they were captured in July and August.

Myanmar regime retakes key town southwest of Mandalay

The military fought for two weeks, using ground, air, and naval forces, to take back the resistance-held town of Ngan Myar Gyi

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