The Karen National Union (KNU) Central Committee has announced that the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) has successfully captured the military council’s Khlay Day camp in Hlaingbwe Township along the Thai-Myanmar border in Karen State, which had been established for over 26 years. During the operation, they recovered the bodies of two soldiers and seized a significant cache of weapons and ammunition.
The offensive against the military council’s Khlay Day camp began on March 22, led by KNLA Brigade 7, along with security forces and allied groups. The military council attempted to defend the position using air power, deploying two fighter jets that dropped four 500-pound bombs and a Y-12 aircraft that released 36 bombs. However, by March 25, under sustained assault from KNLA forces, the military council troops could no longer maintain their position. Before abandoning the camp, they destroyed their remaining weapons and ammunition by setting them on fire.
During the clearing operation of the military council camp, forces discovered the bodies of two soldiers and seized a substantial arsenal of military equipment. The captured weapons and ammunition included one Point 5 rifle, two Point 5 barrels, one 60mm long-range mortar, one 60mm short-range mortar, one RPG-7, three MA-2 rifles, one signal jammer, one large generator, one small generator, one mine detector, six forward mines, two 16-step mines, twenty-seven 60mm rounds, one canine bomb, two 81mm rounds, thirty-two 40mm rounds, fourteen RPG-7 rounds, twenty thousand 7.62 rounds, eight thousand 5.56 rounds, sixty anti-personnel mines, eight helmets, and four solar panels.
The Khlay Day military camp was originally established on September 22, 1989, with the purpose of controlling the Thai-Myanmar border region. Since its establishment, local civilians have faced severe restrictions on their freedom of movement and ability to conduct their daily lives and economic activities. Now, in accordance with the wishes of the local population, KNLA forces have successfully captured the camp and are currently conducting area clearance operations to ensure the security of the region. This operation represents a significant step toward restoring freedom of movement and economic activities for the local civilian population who have endured decades of restrictions under military control.
