The Karenni joint revolutionary forces successfully captured the military council’s Wan Malan outpost in Bawlakhe Township, Karenni State, recovering four military council soldiers’ bodies and seizing weapons and ammunition, according to Colonel Bone Naing, the Chief of Military Affairs of the Karenni Army (KA). During the battle, one revolutionary fighter was killed and more than 10 others were wounded.
The attack began at 6 AM on March 28 at the Wan Malan outpost, located approximately 9 miles from Bawlakhe town. An intense firefight lasted for two and a half hours before the revolutionary forces had to temporarily withdraw due to ammunition shortages. When they launched a counter-offensive on March 30, they discovered that the military council troops had abandoned the outpost. Previous attempts to capture this outpost had failed on three separate occasions.
The Wan Malan outpost was manned by soldiers from Infantry Battalion 82 under Strategic Operations Command 2 based in Mong Nong and served as a crucial guard post for Bawlakhe town. Bawlakhe hosts several military installations including Infantry Battalions 430, 337, 429, and a strategic base. The military had established guard posts at Wan Malan, Mine Thar, 12-Mile Hill, and 4-Mile Hill to protect these installations. Currently, only the Mine Thar outpost and 4-Mile Hill remain under military council control.
Since March 19, Karenni joint revolutionary forces have been systematically attacking military council positions in Bawlakhe, with intense fighting continuing to the present. The KA Chief of Military Affairs has warned local civilians to be vigilant against airstrikes and to prepare sturdy bomb shelters. He indicated that the activities of the military council’s Strategic Operations Command 2, Division 66, and Inn Ma troops from Bago have ceased, and predicted that revolutionary forces would achieve final victory in the Bawlakhe region soon.
