The military council is conducting operations with three separate columns in Hpakant Township, Kachin State, and has resorted to airstrikes due to heavy casualties among their troops, according to military sources from the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). Since July 18, military operations have been launched from three different directions: the Trash Dump-Maw Wan Gyi Cemetery area, the Sut La Yang-Maw Wan Lay area, and the Maw Maung Hsan area, with one column in each location.
Joint forces of the KIA and People’s Defense Force (PDF) have been actively resisting these military council offensives, resulting in significant casualties among military council troops and the successful downing of three military council drones. Due to the intensity of the fighting, the military council conducted a total of eight airstrikes using fighter jets over four days from July 18 to July 21. The military council has been targeting the Maw Wan Lay and Maw Wan Gyi areas, as well as other frontline positions where fighting is taking place. They also dropped two incendiary bombs near the Unity Company compound near Ma La Ka village.
According to KIA military sources, the military council continues to conduct regular airstrikes to clear paths for their ground forces, which have been unable to advance. The military council is deploying both ground and air forces in full force to attempt to recapture territories held by the KIA and allied forces, with expectations that the fighting will likely intensify in the coming days. These operations represent a significant escalation in the military council’s attempts to regain control of the area, though they continue to face strong resistance from the combined forces of the KIA and PDF.
