A representative from the Nagani Guerrilla Force has confirmed that significant casualties were inflicted on military council forces and Pyu Saw Htee members during two consecutive days of fighting in Myingyan Township, Mandalay Region on March 1st and 2nd. On the first day of fighting, a military column of about 50 personnel led by Pyu Saw Htee leader Thida Yu Mon from Myingyan town approached a PDF bunker north of Laysat village. While the military forces were attempting to destroy the outpost, which had been set up as a decoy, People’s Defense Forces launched a surprise attack from behind, resulting in numerous casualties among the military council soldiers and Pyu Saw Htee members.
As the battle intensified, the military council called for reinforcements with two armored vehicles and conducted at least five to six airstrikes on the area. During the engagement, a heavy weapons operator on one of the armored vehicles was killed, forcing the vehicles to retreat. The military forces suffered heavy casualties, though exact numbers could not be confirmed as bodies were later collected and transported away in trucks. The military council responded with both rocket attacks and aerial bombardment of the area.
On March 2nd, as PDF forces were approaching a Pyu Saw Htee camp in Laysat village, they encountered a sudden arrival of three military vehicles from Myingyan town. The resistance forces immediately engaged, inflicting heavy casualties on the troops in the lead vehicle, forcing the remaining vehicles to retreat. The military council then launched airstrikes using fighter jets, and ground forces proceeded to burn down Kyaukpyut village. Throughout both days of fighting, the military council employed various tactics including ground forces, armored vehicles, and air support in response to the resistance attacks.
The operations were jointly carried out by the Nagani Guerrilla Force and allied groups from Myingyan Township. The People’s Defense Forces were able to successfully withdraw without casualties after inflicting significant damage on the military council forces. While the exact number of military council casualties could not be verified due to the tactical situation preventing close inspection of the battlefield, resistance forces reported seeing military trucks collecting numerous bodies from the engagement areas. The fighting demonstrated the continued effectiveness of coordinated resistance operations against military council forces, despite the latter’s superior firepower and air support capabilities.
