Two days of clashes in Tanintharyi Region’s Palaw Township earlier this week left at least 10 junta soldiers and one People’s Defence Force (PDF) fighter dead, resistance sources claimed.
According to San Myo Aung, the commander of Myeik District PDF Battalion 1, the fighting began on Tuesday near Pa Wut Kone, a village located about 15km south of the town of Palaw.
“There were two days of continuous fighting after we attacked them on June 20. The battles were serious but we didn’t suffer any heavy losses,” he said.
Than Chaung, a 30-year-old PDF member, was killed and five others were injured, he said, adding that there were more casualties on the other side.
“At least 10 junta soldiers died and many others were injured,” said the PDF commander.
The fighting involved three junta columns of around 80 troops each, he added.
“We were chasing one column as it withdrew on the first day, and then we ran into another one and got caught up in further clashes,” he said, adding that the fighting continued until all three columns retreated to Palaw on Wednesday evening.
Myanmar Now has not been able to independently verify casualty figures, and the regime has not released any statement on the fighting.
There were also unconfirmed reports of another ambush targeting a junta column near the village of Nan Taung, also in Palaw Township, this week, but no further details were available at the time of reporting.
According to San Myo Aung, the military has been sending fewer troops to the area in recent months and has also reduced its use of heavy artillery.
“Artillery shells used to rain down on us during clashes in the past, but they didn’t fire even one on Tuesday, and only around two per hour the following day,” he said.
He added that due to the shortage of troops in southern Myanmar, the regime has had to appoint the wives of soldiers to combat positions.
Clashes also took place in Thayetchaung Township, near the Tanintharyi capital Dawei, on June 8. Thousands of people were forced to flee as regime forces fired heavy artillery from an offshore vessel and carried out arson attacks, sources said.
Myanmar’s military has faced fierce resistance to its rule in many parts of the country since it seized power in February 2021, but the most intense fighting has been in the north, west and east, around Sagaing Region and Chin, Karen, and Karenni states.
