A military council helicopter was shot down in Banmaw Township, Kachin State, with confirmed deaths of helicopter pilots Major Myo Htet Aung, Major Kyaw Myint Htoo, and Major Chan Tha, along with all strategic commanders and crew members on board. The military council has attempted to cover up this incident, falsely claiming that the helicopter crashed due to technical malfunction rather than being shot down.
On May 20th, in the afternoon, one of two military council supply helicopters carrying reinforcements, rations, and ammunition to Strategic Command Center 21 in Banmaw was shot down by the KIA, crashing in a forested area near Sinyan village in Moe Hla sub-township of Shwegu Township. The helicopter was carrying seven crew members. The following day, on May 21st, when KIA forces investigated the crash site, they discovered 16 burned bodies of soldiers and 14 damaged weapons.
Later that same day, KIA Brigade 11 forces used heavy weapons to attack another military helicopter that made an emergency landing at Infantry Battalion 56 in Shwegu town. This attack resulted in the complete destruction of both the helicopter and nearby armored vehicles. In the five years since the military coup, the KIA has successfully shot down four military council helicopters and one fighter jet. These include a Mi-35 attack helicopter in Moemauk Township in May 2021, a Mi-17 helicopter in Waingmaw Township in January 2024, an FTC 2000 G fighter jet in Kutkai Township, and now two helicopters in the Banmaw region in May 2024.
The military council’s internal sources have confirmed the deaths of the helicopter pilots while attempting to maintain a narrative of mechanical failure rather than acknowledging the aircraft was shot down. The KIA has reported that the total number of military casualties in these incidents is significant, with multiple confirmed deaths among both flight crews and strategic commanders. These successful operations by the KIA demonstrate their continued capability to challenge the military council’s air superiority in the region, marking significant victories in their resistance against the military regime’s operations in Kachin State.
