Local residents and military sources report that after the capture of the military council’s Thuka camp on the Thai-Myanmar border in Dawei District, Tanintharyi Region, the military’s artillery fire killed 4 people, including 3 children. Around 4 PM on July 8, after revolutionary forces captured the military council’s Thuka camp on the Thai-Myanmar border, Infantry Battalion 282 based in Kaleinaung fired artillery indiscriminately. The artillery shells landed and exploded in Thayarmon village, located between Kaleinaung and Yebyu towns in Dawei District, resulting in the deaths of innocent civilians.
Military council forces fired continuously with 7 artillery pieces. Military analysts from the Dawei District border area suggest this firing may have been intended as a diversion to prevent attention on troop reinforcements being sent to their camp near Nat Tein Taung. On July 7, revolutionary forces captured the Thuka camp located on the Thai-Myanmar border in Myeik-Dawei District, after which more than 30 soldiers from the camp fled to the Thai side. The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and People’s Defense Force (PDF) joint forces had previously captured Htee Hta strategic camp, Htee Khee military camp, Bodhi military camp, and Nga Yant Ni camp during April and June.
With the additional capture of Thuka camp, revolutionary forces now control a total of 5 military camps in the area. Currently, only the Nat Tein Taung camp remains under military council control along the Thai-Myanmar border in Dawei District, Tanintharyi Region. This remaining camp is a small outpost with only 30 to 50 soldiers. Military analysts note that if this Nat Tein Taung camp is also captured, the entire Thai-Myanmar border area within Dawei District will come under the control of revolutionary forces led by the KNLA. This would represent a significant shift in territorial control along the border region and further weaken the military council’s presence in the area.
