A spokesperson from the Karenni National Defense Force (KNDF) Central Information Department has confirmed that despite the military council’s claims of controlling Moebye, intense fighting continues and the military is systematically burning civilian homes. Following the military council’s takeover of Moebye town, located at the border of Karenni State and Shan State, more than twenty civilian houses have been burned down, while battles continue to rage in the surrounding areas.
On July 5, the military council forces seized control of the Downtown Ward near Mawtaw Pagoda in the southernmost part of Moebye, followed by the capture of Nyaungwin Ward, the easternmost neighborhood, on July 6. Although the military council subsequently announced complete control over Moebye town, fierce battles continue along the Moebye-Loikaw highway. The military council forces have been systematically burning civilian homes within Moebye, with over twenty houses destroyed by fire so far. The military’s campaign of destruction has continued despite their claims of establishing control over the area.
The military council’s offensive against Moebye has heavily relied on Pa-O National Organization (PNO) militia forces, along with extensive use of drones, airstrikes, and heavy artillery bombardment, which forced revolutionary forces to make a tactical retreat. Colonel Bone Naing, the military chief of the Karenni Army (KA), revealed that the capture of Moebye was not achieved through the military council’s forces alone but primarily through the deployment of PNO militia forces. He emphasized that the military council’s success in the area was largely dependent on their alliance with the PNO, whose significant manpower played a crucial role in the offensive operations. The situation highlights the military council’s strategy of utilizing allied ethnic armed groups to maintain control over contested territories while continuing their campaign of destruction against civilian infrastructure.
