Resistance forces close to capturing town near Sagaing capital

Anti-regime groups in Sagaing Region say they have nearly captured the town of Kani, located less than 40 miles north of the region’s capital, Monywa. The resistance forces began attacking junta troops stationed in the town last Saturday. “It is now almost completely under the control of the resistance, but there is still some fighting going on around the town,” said a military source who did not want to be named. Since the assault began, the military has carried out at least 50 airstrikes, using both attack helicopters and fighters jets, according to local residents. There were also reports that reinforcements had been transported into the area by air on Thursday morning. There were at least 150 junta troops stationed in the town when the resistance offensive began. According to the military source, some have since surrendered, but the exact number could not be confirmed at the time of reporting. The regime intensified its efforts to hold onto the town on Wednesday, carrying out airstrikes through the day, a local man told Myanmar Now. “They targeted three or four locations in the township, and also hit the town itself many times,” said the man, adding that there were another 11 airstrikes on Kani on Thursday morning. On March 2, the day the resistance attacks began, the military carried out nearly 20 airstrikes, deploying aircraft from Monywa and as far away as Kalay to the northwest and Tada-U, near Mandalay, to the southeast, according to residents. Nearly 10,000 people, including residents of the town and nearby villages, have since fled to escape the aerial attacks. At least one local civilian has been confirmed dead since the fighting began. Members of anti-junta group the Dictatorship Revolutionary People’s Army in Kani Township in late 2023 (DRPA) Kani is also close to the Monywa-based headquarters of the junta’s Northwestern Regional Military Command, which is responsible for Sagaing Region, northern Magway Region, and Chin State—areas known for their strong armed resistance to military rule. “The resistance forces are not just targeting a single town; it’s a strategic operation,” said the military source who spoke to Myanmar Now. Residents of Kani Township were among the first in Myanmar to take up arms against the military after it seized power more than three years ago. At present, the regime holds only a handful of military positions in the township. Late last year, resistance forces captured four towns in Sagaing Region—Kawlin, Shwe Pyi Aye, Maw Lu, and Khampat—as the junta faced a major offensive by an alliance of ethnic armed groups in northern Shan State. However, following a ceasefire in that conflict, the regime retook Kawlin in mid-February and has since carried out attacks on the other towns. The success of the current offensive in Sagaing Region will largely depend on the military situation elsewhere in the country, according to Soe Win Swe, spokesperson for the Sagaing Forum, which coordinates communication among anti-junta groups in Sagaing Region. “If the fighting in other areas does not diminish, if there are more battles in Rakhine and northern Shan states, then the Sagaing resistance groups will be able to do more than this,” he said. “Whether they can hold onto [Kani] for an extended period will depend on the outcome of battles in other regions,” he added.

Resistance forces close to capturing town near Sagaing capital

The success of anti-regime groups fighting for control of Kani comes despite nearly a week of relentless airstrikes

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