The junta is making preparations to retake the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Kachin People’s Defence Force (KPDF) controlled Sumprabum Town in Putao District, Kachin State, according to locals.
A coalition of the KIA and KPDF seized Sumprabum Town in May 2024. Currently, Infantry Battalions (IB) 137 and 46, stationed in Putao District, are preparing to retake the town, according to a 50-year-old Putao resident close to the KPDF.
He said to KNG: “Sources close to IB-137 said that the junta is making plans to retake Sumprabum. While the exact details remain unclear, there are reports suggesting that operations could start before the end of 2024. Considering the junta’s military preparations, this effort is likely to materialise soon. Even now, military truck traffic is notably heavy at night.”
Since July junta troop reinforcements have been gathering in Longshayang and Phat Mar villages which are between Sumprabum and the junta-held town of Putao.
A resident of Putao Town’s Lay Yin Kwin Ward said: “At present, no additional soldiers are being sent to Putao. Since July, a significant number of troops have been transported to Putao by military helicopters from the southern regions. These troops are deployed everywhere here, often in civilian clothing.”
After losing Sumprabum Town in May, the junta made multiple attempts to retake the town with help from the Tang Gu Tan militia group until July, but the KIA-KPDF coalition repelled all their offensives.
Another Putao resident said: “Up until July, they made several attempts to advance but suffered losses and had to retreat each time. After that, things were quiet for a while. Now, they’re regrouping with significant strength and preparing for another offensive.”
News of the junta’s plans to launch an offensive to retake Sumprabum is spreading amongst residents, leading locals to fear that an outbreak of fighting is imminent, according to a woman living in Putao’s Lone Sut Ward.
She said to KNG: “We’ve been hearing reports for a while that preparations to retake Sumprabum are already underway, but we don’t know when the clashes will begin. If war erupts, there’s a possibility that routes will be blocked, and commodity prices will go up. Some people who can afford it have already started stockpiling fuel and rice.”
Sumprabum Town is on the Putao to Myitkyina Road, a crucial trade route for goods going to Putao Town, which is why some of the town’s inhabitants have already stocked up on fuel and rice.
Sumprabum Town is situated between the sources of the Chindwin and Mali Kha rivers, approximately 128 miles north of Myitkyina, the capital city of Kachin State. Putao Town is about another 80 miles north of Sumprabum Town and is between the the sources of the Chindwin and Mali Kha rivers.
