The Kachin resistance captured a Burma army camp in a surprise attack near a village in Kachin State. Numerous soldiers from the regime’s Light Infantry Battalion 602 and Infantry Battalion (IB) 56 lost their lives in the morning assault near Ngabat Gyi last Wednesday, and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and Kachin Region People’s Defence Force (KPDF) confiscated a significant amount of their weapons.
A KPDF officer who participated in the attack stated that the camp had been in place for over a decade and served as a signal unit with around 60 soldiers. He mentioned the presence of a concrete bunker and an underground tunnel for storing weapons. “It’s one of the well-established military camps in Shwegu Township,” the officer explained to KNG.
During the siege, the Burma army launched artillery shelling at the Kachin groups from Shwegu town. However, the Myo Hla People’s Defence Force conducted a drone attack against the enemy who were shelling from the town’s police station. Following this, approximately 100 junta soldiers from IB-56 went to Ngabat Gyi, causing villagers to flee.
One resident wondered when they could return to their homes, which were being occupied by the soldiers. Ngabat Gyi comprises 400 houses with around 2,000 residents.
According to another local resident, a man in the village was killed by a regime shell, and several people were injured while at least three houses were damaged. He explained that when the shelling began, nearly everyone fled, but 30 individuals got trapped.
“When a villager was attempting to retrieve his belongings from inside his home, a shell struck and killed him instantly. The shelling also injured five people as these villagers were fleeing.”
U Aik Pee, aged 40, was cremated soon after his death. Ko Htoo Htoo Win, Ko Nyi Nyi, Ko Kyaw Kyaw, and an unidentified male and female are currently receiving medical treatment for their injuries.
The KPDF officer mentioned that the Kachin groups abducted two drivers in plain clothes operating a regime light truck, which the armed groups confiscated as well as the numerous shells and 30 military backpacks it was carrying when it was seized at the Shwegu Lay junction.
Since 2022, regime columns have been extensively patrolling western and eastern Shwegu Township, resulting in the burning of many civilian houses. This year, the Kachin resistance decided to take action and launched an offensive against the Burma army in the township located along the Irrawaddy River. Resistance forces frequently target regime flotillas transporting weapons and food on the river.
The Burma army’s columns, along with indiscriminate shelling in Shwegu Township, have led to the deaths and displacement of many civilians.
