An alliance of resistance forces overran a police station in Magway Region’s Yesagyo Township on Monday as junta aircraft opened fire on them from the air, a leader of one of the groups said.
The People’s Defence Force (PDF) chapters from Yesagyo and Myaing townships and Salingyi in Sagaing, as well as the Myanmar Royal Dragon Army, conducted the coordinated raid on the site in Ma Au village, located 13 miles north of Yesagyo town.
The attack started at 5am and lasted three hours, according to Yesagyo PDF leader Wai Gyi. During this time, an Mi-35 helicopter gunship fired on the coalition as they reached the main building in the compound, he said.
Wai Gyi estimated that around 30 police personnel were present at the site at the time of the assault, which involved advances on the ground as well as bombs dropped by PDF drones.
“We raided the station and managed to set fire to some buildings. We were also able to hit their bunkers,” he said, adding that the aerial attack forced the resistance members to eventually leave the site. “Even though we were already in the station, we withdrew after being shot at by the Mi-35 for an hour.”
They claimed to have confiscated a rifle and an anti-drone gun before leaving.
Seven junta police—including the station chief, Myint Kyaw—were killed in the fight, and two guerrilla fighters were injured, Wai Gyi said.
“We took a photo of his body,” he told Myanmar Now, referring to Myint Kyaw. “Some of the others ran away.”
Upon learning that the Ma Au police station was under attack, around 30 junta troops stationed four miles south in Zee Taw village tried to head to the site as reinforcements. However, they were halted in an explosive attack set by local PDFs, which had planted at least 20 mines in an area around two miles outside of Zee Taw.
More than half of the soldiers were killed, Wai Gyi said.
“They were heading to Ma Au to reinforce. When they were going through our minefield, We pulled them down,” he explained.
On March 31, junta forces raided a camp held by the Yesagyo PDF two miles south of the town, killing five members of the resistance group.
