A combined force of Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Arakan Army (AA) and Kachin Region People’s Defense Force (KPDF) seized the strategic Jehkam base from the Burma army following a three-day offensive. The Burma army has held the Jehkam base (also known as the Sikham Gyi base) for the past 30 years.
“It’s confirmed that our troops seized the strategic camp from the Burma army,” a KPDF officer told KNG.
The KPDF officer said that the resistance forces seized the strategic camp from Burma army after a three-day battle that included a large number of airstrikes and artillery attacks.
Local people reported that nearly 1,000 villagers have fled Jehkam village to seek refuge in safer areas. Burma army airstrikes damaged religious buildings, a school and civilian houses in the village.
“Jet fighter attacks continued this morning. Airstrikes and artillery attacks destroyed many houses in our village. We fled to a safer area when the clashes broke out,” a male Jehkam villager, currently taking shelter in Mansi town, told KNG.
KNG could not independently verify the number of causalities, number of airstrikes, or full extent of property damage that resulted from the three-day battle.
The Jehkam military base is situated near Jehkam village, approximately 30 miles from Mansi town in Kachin State and close to the border with Shan State. The Jehkam base is an important military position due to its location on the Mandalay–Bhamo–Myitkyina union highway, which the Burma army used to supply its Military Operations Command-21 (MOC-21) in Bhamo town. Troops from multiple Infantry Battalions under the Burma army’s Northern Military Command (IB-121, IB-15, IB-276 and IB-223) were deployed at the Jehkam base.
Since January 2024, the KIA and KPDF have seized Mabein town of northern Shan state, and Mang Weing Gyi military camp, Kai Htip military camp and Balawng Dingsa military camp in Mansi Township of Kachin state.
