On Tuesday, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) captured the strategically significant Gangdau Yang mountaintop from the State Administration Council (SAC). This crucial position overlooks the Myitkyina – Bhamo road and had been held by the Burma army for a decade.
According to Col N’hpang Naw Bu, spokesperson for KIA’s political wing, Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), the Kachin armed group and aligned forces attacked the SAC army camp on the mountaintop at 5 am and successfully seized it three hours later. Subsequently, the junta launched an airstrike on Ja Hta, resulting in the destruction of six homes in the village.
A frontline KIA officer, speaking on condition of anonymity to KNG, revealed that they captured a battalion commander during the battle.
N’hpang Naw Bu said, “There’s currently a jet fighter attacking the Lailum Awng Ja area. I anticipate the conflict will escalate in the region because the Burma army has lost control of their military camps.”
On September 16, the KIA seized a military camp in Lailum Awng Ja and took control of a second camp just over a month later.
SAC is carrying out attacks near Namsan Yang and close to Laiza. Residents of the KIO/KIA headquarters reported that troops stationed atop Bum Re were shelling the Mung Lai Hkyet area with heavy artillery.
Since July, the regime has been attempting to take control of the area around Namsan Yang village, due to its proximity to Laiza. Despite deploying a significant number of ground troops and conducting numerous airstrikes with artillery, mortars, and jet fighters, they have thus far failed in their attempts.
The Burma army continues to launch heavy artillery attacks towards Laiza, yet the KIA has effectively deterred their efforts by ambushing troops along the Myitkyina – Bhamo road, preventing them from flooding the Namsan Yang area.
N’hpang Naw Bu informed the press in August that at least 70 enemy soldiers were killed during clashes around Dawt Hpung Yang, Madee Yang, Awng Ja, Kazu, and Dabat Yang.
