The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and People’s Defense Force (PDF) have launched simultaneous attacks on three positions held by the military council in Kawkareik, Karen State. The targeted locations include the fortified bunker near Military Operations Command-12 headquarters, the Aung Zeya Operation’s rear command post (at Shwe Kyat Min Monastery), and defensive bunkers west of Infantry Battalion 97. According to KNLA allied forces’ sources, intense fighting is ongoing as both sides employ drones and heavy weapons in the conflict.
The military council is conducting defensive operations from multiple positions, with artillery support being provided from Kyun Doe and Gyaing Bridge areas using howitzers. The Hlaing Wa artillery unit is firing toward Yan Kut village, while Infantry Battalion 97 is directing artillery fire toward Shwe Kyat Min Tatanar Kone village. Despite the military council’s heavy artillery bombardment and drone operations, the KNLA allied forces have reportedly suffered no casualties. The military council forces are primarily maintaining defensive positions while being unable to retrieve their casualties from the battlefield.
Military analysts note that if the KNLA allied forces succeed in capturing the Aung Zeya Operation’s rear command post at Shwe Kyat Min Monastery, it would effectively sever the military council’s operations along the Myawaddy-Asia Highway. The military council has deployed reconnaissance aircraft over the area but has not yet conducted any bombing runs. The fighting has been particularly intense in the Shwe Kyat Min Tatanar Kone area, with loud explosions being heard throughout the morning of April 29. The military council continues to rely on artillery support from multiple positions, including Kyun Doe, Gyaing Bridge, and Hlaing Wa artillery bases, while the resistance forces maintain their offensive pressure on the targeted positions.
