Myanmar’s military launches all-out bid to retake Kachin State town of Momauk

Myanmar’s military has intensified its efforts to retake the town of Momauk in southern Kachin State, more than two months after losing it to the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and its allies. According to KIA spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu, large numbers of junta troops based in the nearby town of Bhamo, including some in armoured vehicles, began advancing on Momauk last week. “It’s been about a week now. They’re attacking with a combined force, deploying airstrikes, ground forces, and artillery,” he told Myanmar Now on Tuesday. Momauk is located just 10 miles east of Bhamo—a distance that can usually be covered within about 30 minutes along the Bhamo-Myitkyina road. The town of around 10,000 inhabitants is also the administrative centre of the township of the same name, which shares a 60-mile border with China’s Yunnan Province to the east. The road to the border has been controlled by the KIA-led forces since late March. The KIA and its ally, the Kachin People’s Defence Force, captured Momauk on August 19 after seizing the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 437 base about two miles west of the town. Since then, the regime has made repeated attempts to retake Momauk, despite being largely confined to Bhamo due to the KIA’s control of the surrounding area. Meanwhile, many residents of Bhamo have fled over the past two months amid fears that the town could become the next battleground. “We heard artillery fire nearby, so I closed my shop and took my children to a monastery for their safety,” said a woman living in the town, noting that many other businesses have also closed. There are a number of military units based in Momauk, including an artillery unit and the junta’s Military Operations Command 21. Troops from LIB 437 and others who withdrew from major tactical camps along the road to the Chinese border are also currently stationed there, according to reports. Communication has been limited in much of Kachin State since late July, when the regime cut off phone and internet lines in response to its ongoing losses in the state. The KIA launched its current offensive in early March, and has since captured hundreds of junta camps and 11 towns in Kachin State, as well as the town of Mabein in northern Shan State.

Myanmar’s military launches all-out bid to retake Kachin State town of Momauk

The Kachin Independence Army and it sallies have controlled the town for more than two months

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