The Karen National Union (KNU) Mergui-Tavoy District has announced that 5 military council soldiers were killed and weapons were seized during an attack on military council forces stationed at a monastery in Min Dat village, Yayphyu Township, Tanintharyi Region. The attack was carried out by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) Battalion 12’s Unit 2 and allied revolutionary forces around 1 PM on June 26th. The military council troops had been occupying positions at the monastery compound when the joint revolutionary forces launched their offensive.
During the battle, 5 military council soldiers were killed and the revolutionary forces captured various military weapons, ammunition, and equipment. By around 3 PM after the fighting concluded, KNLA Unit 2 and allied forces had taken full control of Min Dat village. The remaining military council troops who had been stationed in the village retreated to their Win Wa camp base, according to the statement released by the KNU.
This battle occurred as a response to the military council’s ongoing oppression, looting, and arbitrary arrests of local civilians in the area, with revolutionary forces taking action to protect the population. Min Dat village represents a strategically important location in Tanintharyi Region where the military council had been attempting to maintain control. However, they lost their grip on the area following this successful offensive by revolutionary forces. The incident demonstrates the continuing resistance against military rule in the region and the revolutionary forces’ capability to challenge the military council’s attempts to assert control over civilian areas.
