A resistance fighter and a civilian were killed, and a forward outpost had to be abandoned following an intensive military offensive by the military council in Moe Bye town, Pekon Township, Karenni State, according to officials from the Southern Shan State Military Region, People’s Defense Force Strategic Command-1. On April 27, the military council’s Infantry Battalion 422, based in Moe Bye, launched an offensive with more than 100 troops, leading to intense fighting as revolutionary alliance forces mounted defensive operations. During the battle, a resistance fighter from Moe Bye Battalion 1 p3-1001 was killed, and a civilian lost their life when the military council conducted indiscriminate artillery strikes that hit a village.
On April 28 at around 5 AM, the military council’s Infantry Battalion 422 launched another offensive with over 300 troops. The combined forces of the Southern Shan State Military Region PDF Strategic Command-1 units, Karenni National Defense Force (KNDF), and other allied forces engaged in defensive operations, resulting in significant casualties among military council troops. The military council provided heavy artillery support from Pekon and Loikaw cities and deployed fighter jets in their attacks, causing extensive damage to civilian homes in Moe Bye. The intensity of the military council’s artillery and air strikes forced the resistance forces to withdraw from one forward outpost, with three resistance fighters sustaining injuries, one of them severe.
The revolutionary forces have called for urgent support from domestic and international donors to maintain control of Moe Bye. They have also advised civilians to thoroughly check the ground situation before traveling through the Moe Bye area due to ongoing fighting. The resistance sources warn that the current situation in Moe Bye remains extremely dangerous, with continuous aerial bombardment and artillery strikes making travel through the area highly risky. The military council’s use of both heavy artillery and air assets has resulted in significant destruction of civilian infrastructure, while resistance forces continue their defensive operations against the military council’s offensive operations.
