Approximately 30 Burma army soldiers, including a warrant officer and a sergeant, surrendered to the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) following three days of intense fighting in Hpakant Township, Kachin State.
According to a local witness speaking to KNG, the soldiers waved a white flag as they surrendered their Namya camp on Thursday morning. He said they feared returning to the Burma army. Amidst the conflict, the regime launched an airstrike on Namya village, resulting in the destruction of a school and 10 homes.
The Kachin armed group seized weapons and military equipment from the camp, which also housed 100 People’s Militia Force (PMF) troops. Following the detonation of an armory in the camp, the KIA suspects numerous casualties among the PMF. Several Burma army soldiers were reportedly killed during the offensive, with some managing to escape. At least 7 KIA soldiers lost their lives, and several others sustained injuries.
While KIA soldiers infiltrated the camp by Wednesday, they struggled to dislodge junta forces from a hilltop position until the following morning.
The regime maintained control over a vital checkpoint in the area, which is situated along the Myitkyina – Mogaung – Hpakant highway, utilising it to inspect buses and trucks.
“Burma army soldiers used to extort money from travelers and vehicles and engage in the illegal trade of heroin and methamphetamine pills,” the source revealed, noting past incidents where soldiers from the Namya camp killed five civilians.
Initially established in 2011 for the PMF, the camp was later repurposed into a base upon the arrival of regime soldiers.
In early February, the KIA seized the Namtein military camp from the Burma army outside Hpakant town. The junta continues to hold strategic hilltop positions in Kamaing town (also known as Kamine) and the Yam Chek camp near Hpakant town, both situated along the Myitkyina – Hpakant road.
Since launching an offensive in early 2024, the KIA and People’s Defence Force have captured numerous crucial positions in Hpakant Township, including Namya, Namtein, Huay Khar, Tamakhan, Kasem hilltop camp, and Nam Maw camps.
The groups have closed the Myitkyina – Hpakant road as they continue their offensive against the military regime.
