A military reinforcement convoy traveling from Pakokku to Pakan town in Magway Region was ambushed by resistance forces, resulting in the deaths of at least 14 personnel including two sergeants, according to Southern YSO PDF officials. The attack occurred on a section of road between Pakokku and Yedashe on the evening of March 17. The targeted convoy included a lead vehicle equipped with a mounted gun and carried more than twenty personnel.
Among the casualties were Sergeant Nay Lin from Division 101, Sergeant Nay Win from Infantry Battalion 235, two soldiers from Infantry Battalion 259, and more than ten police officers from the Magway Region Mobile Police Force. The attack was confirmed by resistance members who participated in the operation. According to Ko Aung Maung, the commander of Southern YSO PDF, the convoy was attacked head-on using anti-tank weapons and RPGs, followed by three 40mm mortar rounds fired with precision. The forces also engaged with small arms fire. An attempt to capture the convoy had to be abandoned when their column commander was injured due to a weapon malfunction.
After the attack, the bodies of the deceased military personnel were returned to their respective battalions, while the remains of the mobile police force members were transported to a nearby airfield gate station for burial. The operation was led by Southern YSO PDF’s Natmichaung Operation group in collaboration with Southern Local Alliance forces. The column commander who was injured during the attack has since recovered, according to resistance force officials.
The ambush demonstrated the continued resistance operations against military forces in the Magway Region, where various PDF groups have been actively engaging military targets. The attack was carefully planned and executed, utilizing multiple types of weapons and coordinated tactics. The resistance forces maintained their strategic position of prioritizing their members’ safety, as evidenced by their decision to withdraw when their commander was injured rather than risk further casualties in an attempt to seize the vehicle and its contents.
