A defected soldier named Nan Lin Thu has revealed that numerous military council troops were killed during the battle in Nyaung Kyoe, Pantaung Township, Bago Region, due to misguided airstrikes by the military council’s air force. According to his account, the combination of erroneous bombing by military aircraft and attacks by the Arakan Army (AA) resulted in the deaths of more than 120 military council soldiers, with the remaining troops dispersing and fleeing the area.
Nan Lin Thu, a new recruit, was forcibly conscripted on September 18, 2024, when he was captured as a porter by military council forces in Kyeepinkaut Township’s Yayban Seinyoegyi village. He was taken to the 6th Infantry Division and subsequently sent to the No. 4 Military Training School in Wekali, Thanzayat Township, where he completed the 6th batch of military training. After training, he was deployed to the frontline outpost in Nat Than Kwin, Kyaukgyi Township, Bago Region, before being transferred to the Nyaung Kyoe outpost.
On March 16, Nan Lin Thu surrendered without weapons to the Underground Guerrilla Force-Oatpho, Battalion 3802 Division 4 of Thayawady District. He expressed his intention to join the revolutionary forces and fight against the violent military. According to his testimony, the number of casualties from the military council’s own airstrikes during the Nyaung Kyoe battle exceeded those caused by AA attacks. A PDF official from Thayawady District reported that Nan Lin Thu had attempted to escape from the Nat Than Kwin frontline but was unsuccessful due to minefields. When ordered to go to Rakhine State, he tried to escape while restocking ammunition at Taungoo base but was recaptured at the Meenin Chaung checkpoint in Thayawady and detained at Pyay military base. He was later released from detention and sent back to Nyaung Kyoe.
The Underground Guerrilla Force-Oatpho, Battalion 3802 Division 4 of Thayawady District, has issued a statement encouraging all military council soldiers, including those forcibly conscripted as porters, to defect as soon as possible. The statement promises appropriate rewards for those who surrender to revolutionary forces with their weapons. This incident highlights the ongoing internal challenges faced by the military council, including friendly fire incidents and increasing defections among its ranks.
