The junta has escalated its offensive to re-take Momauk Township in Kachin State back from the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) by deploying 400 soldiers and airstrikes.
The KIA and allied resistance forces captured the junta’s last stronghold in Bhamo District’s Momauk Township, the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 437 base, on the morning of 19 August.
Following this humiliation, nearly 500 junta troops in Bhamo Township started marching to Momauk Township on 24 August, at the same time as another column of junta troops set off from Bhamo towards Mansi Town, which lies just south of Momauk Township in the neighbouring Mansi Township.
The column advanced slowly, only covering two or three miles a day.
On 27 August, when the junta column was still about six or seven miles outside Momauk Township, there was an intense firefight when the KIA ambushed the column.
A KIA frontline soldier said to KNG: “The junta assembled a force of about seven battalions, marching toward Momauk with over 400, nearly 500 troops. Right now, heavy fighting is taking place about 6 or 7 miles before they reach Momauk. The KIA is doing everything it can to stop the junta’s advance.”
Fighting between the junta column and the KIA continued until noon on 28 August.
The junta has also been hitting KIA positions with airstrikes, in an attempt to weaken the KIA’s ability to attack its advancing column.
Just on the morning of 28 August the junta hit Momauk Township with three airstrikes.
The junta column that set off for Mansi Township is believed to be taking reinforcements to the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 601 and LIB 319 bases in Mansi Township which are currently besieged by the KIA and resistance forces.
The junta column has yet to reach Mansi and is currently engaged in fighting the KIA just outside Kawnggyaryang Village in Bhamo Township.
