Resistance forces take over Thabeikkyin

After more than a week of fighting, an alliance of resistance forces captured the gold mining town of Thabeikkyin, Mandalay Region on Sunday, adding to recent gains by anti-junta forces between northern Shan State and the Ayeyarwady River. The gold mining town is located some 80 miles north of Mandalay on the east bank of the Ayeyarwady opposite Kanbalu Township, Sagaing Region. The resistance forces—commanded by the defence ministry of the publicly mandated National Unity Government (NUG)—had advanced on junta positions in the town after capturing the town of Singu less than 30 miles downriver. The NUG-commanded resistance forces launched assaults on Thabeikkyin on August 17. While their forces were able to overrun most of the town’s territory within the next two days, they continued to attack junta positions and drive out the remaining regime forces until the morning of August 25. “The remaining enemy forces had retreated to the Myo-U Hill Pagoda and built up defences. We continued to attack the group at the pagoda, and were finally able to take control of the entire town, including that hill, on August 25,” said Maung Maung Swe, deputy secretary of the NUG’s ministry of defence. The resistance forces participating in the offensive included groups based in Mandalay Region’s Pyin Oo Lwin and Mandalay districts as well as Sagaing Region’s Shwebo and Kanbalu districts. They faced a pro-regime force consisting of around 130 armed personnel, including soldiers, police, and junta-trained Pyu Saw Htee militia members based in Thabeikkyin Township. According to a statement released on Monday by the Military Region 1 or central command of the NUG defence ministry, four of the junta personnel were killed during the battle for control of the town, and resistance forces captured junta commander Lt-Col Soe Min Thu and seized a cache of weapons and ammunition. Weapons and ammunition seized by resistance forces during the capture of Thabeikkyin (Photo: NUG Ministry of Defence) The junta air force dropped more than 200 bombs on the town during the clashes, according to the statement, using attack helicopters and transport planes as well as fighter jets. Myanmar Now attempted to contact Thein Htay, the junta minister of economic affairs and spokesperson for the regime in Mandalay Region, with questions about the fighting in Thabeikkyin and its outcome, but was unable to reach him. The resistance forces have captured towns in Mandalay Region in conjunction with the ongoing second phase of ‘Operation 1027’, a sweeping offensive campaign restarted by the Brotherhood Alliance of ethnic armed groups in northern Shan State in late June of this year. They collaborated closely with the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA)—a Brotherhood Alliance member—in capturing parts of Mandalay Region adjacent to northern Shan State, where the military regime has retained control in only four townships. By capturing Thabeikkyin, the resistance has expanded the territory controlled by anti-junta forces between the Ayeyarwady and northern Shan State. It is the third town in Mandalay Region seized by resistance forces after the capture of Tagaung and Singu. Thabeikkyin Township is directly south of Tigyaing Township, Sagaing Region, where the resistance continues to fight fiercely against junta forces after overrunning a junta base in Mya Taung village. Myanmar’s armed resistance also maintains a strong presence in Sagaing Region’s Khin-U and Kanbalu townships on the west bank of Ayeyarwady, although the junta has intensified offensive operations in Khin-U township with help from local junta-trained militias to regain ground. To the east, the TNLA took control of Mogok, Mandalay Region and Mongmit, northern Shan State last month. NUG-commanded resistance forces also initiated a separate operation earlier this month in Mandalay Region’s Myingyan District—which comprises Myingyan, Natogyi, and Taungtha townships—around 100 miles north of the junta’s administrative capital, Naypyitaw.

Resistance forces take over Thabeikkyin

With the capture of the town, anti-junta forces have established control over a contiguous stretch of territory east of the Ayeyarwady between Sagaing Region and northern Shan State

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