The Karen National Union (KNU) Myeik-Dawei District’s Public Relations and Information Department has confirmed that resistance forces successfully engaged a military council fighter jet that had approached to bomb near Theinkone village in Tanintharyi Township, Tanintharyi Region. The incident occurred on September 12, when revolutionary forces managed to hit the military council’s jet fighter that had arrived to conduct bombing operations near Theinkone village along the Maw Taung border trade route. Following the strike, the damaged aircraft was forced to retreat toward Myeik city.
The successful operation was carried out through coordination between Battalion 11 under the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) Brigade 4 and allied revolutionary forces. According to a report released by the National Unity Government’s (NUG) Ministry of Defense on September 9, approximately twenty military council aircraft and helicopters have been destroyed by revolutionary forces during the four years since the beginning of the Spring Revolution. This demonstrates the growing capabilities of resistance forces in challenging the military council’s air superiority.
Records indicate that revolutionary forces have successfully engaged military council aircraft, including Mi-35P attack helicopters, Mi-17 transport helicopters, K-8W fighter jets, and MIG-29 fighter aircraft, on eleven separate occasions, with nine instances resulting in complete destruction of the targeted aircraft. This consistent success in anti-aircraft operations has significantly impacted the military council’s air power, forcing them to reduce their air offensive operations according to analysis from revolutionary forces. The latest incident in Tanintharyi represents another strategic victory in the ongoing resistance against the military council’s aerial campaigns targeting civilian areas.
