Myanmar resistance forces rescue four hostages in Sagaing’s Wetlet Township

Resistance forces say they freed four civilians in Sagaing Region’s Wetlet Township last week after days of fierce clashes with junta troops and members of the pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia. The captives were being held in Kyaukkone, a village located on the eastern bank of the Mu River about 20 miles southwest of the town of Wetlet, resistance sources said. On the morning of October 19, a column of around 100 junta troops, along with Pyu Saw Htee members from villages on the other side of the river, raided Kyaukkone and took several residents hostage. “They came across the Mu River by motorboat and over the bridge. They captured anyone who didn’t manage to get away and kept them nearby as human shields,” said an official from the Shwebo District People’s Defence Force (PDF) Battalion 1. Two days later, resistance forces launched attacks on the junta troops, who had occupied positions throughout the village. The fighting continued for nearly a week, until the regime forces withdrew on October 25 after two days of intense clashes. “We had to advance inch by inch to drive them out. When we entered for area clearance, we found the hostages in houses at the western edge of the village,” said the official. The villagers, who were beaten and tortured during their detention, were treated for injuries, but none were in life-threatening condition, the official added. Pyu Saw Htee groups control several villages on the opposite side of the Mu River from Kyaukkone in neighbouring Ayadaw Township, including Thalebar, Ngwetwin, and Sapartwin. This has made it vulnerable to junta raids. According to the Shwebo District PDF official, this latest incursion was carried out for the purpose of looting food and other supplies from civilians. In a statement, the Shwebo District PDF Battalion 1, which is also known as the Nway Oo Aung Pwe group, said that the body of a junta soldier was recovered from the village, along with weapons and ammunition. Residents have yet to return to their homes, as landmines planted by the junta troops while they were positioned in the village are still being removed. There was also intense fighting reported in Ywarthargyi, a junta-controlled village about 14 miles from Kyaukkone, in the second week of October. Wetlet Township, located between the Mu and Ayeyarwady rivers, borders Shwebo, Sagaing, and Ayadaw townships. The junta has footholds in the township’s administrative centre and several villages, including Sheinmakar, Saingnaingkwayt, Hlataw, Ywarthargyi, and Hanlin, but resistance forces control most other areas. The regime is said to be intensifying its offensives in many parts of Sagaing Region as it prepares to hold elections in areas where it exercises some degree of control.

Myanmar resistance forces rescue four hostages in Sagaing’s Wetlet Township

The captives were freed after days of fierce fighting to retake a village on the Mu River, sources said

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