Military sources have confirmed that Colonel Myo Thant, Deputy Commander of Operation Command Headquarters No. 13 based in Bokpyin, Tanintharyi Region, was killed in an attack by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). The incident occurred on August 25 at 12:15 PM when KNLA forces ambushed and mined three military vehicles traveling from Bokpyin town toward Lenya town near Htaung Yone village in Laykasaw Township, Myeik-Dawei District. The attack resulted in the deaths of Colonel Myo Thant and more than twenty other soldiers, after which the remaining forces collected as many bodies as possible before retreating to Bokpyin.
According to CDM Captain Zin Yaw, Colonel Myo Thant was killed by small arms fire while leading a convoy of three military vehicles as the Deputy Operations Commander. He was traveling to oversee defensive operations and conduct troop inspections in Lenya when the attack occurred. The sources also confirmed that a Major-rank staff officer was among those killed in the attack. Colonel Myo Thant was a commander overseeing People’s Defense Forces in the Tanintharyi Region and was a graduate of the 40th intake of the Defense Services Academy. He had received a military service medal on January 4, 2023.
The Coastal Region Military Command is now demanding explanations from the Commander of Operation Command Headquarters No. 13 regarding the incident, and a military tribunal investigation is expected to be conducted. The Commander of Operation Command Headquarters No. 13 is Brigadier General Zeyar Lin. The KNU Myeik-Dawei District Information Department has confirmed in their statement that the attack on three military vehicles traveling from Bokpyin to Lenya resulted in at least 20 military casualties. The incident represents one of the first direct combat deaths of a Deputy Division Commander-level officer in the coastal region due to resistance forces’ ground operations.
