The commander of Battalion 3 in Ayeyarwady District has confirmed that more than 20 military council personnel, including Lieutenant Colonel Zaw Myint Win from the Ayeyarwady District Administrative Body, a Major from the Administrative Body, a District Police Chief, and a Town Police Station Chief, were killed during battles that occurred along the Yangon-Pyay Road and in Minhla Township, Bago Region. On June 16th in the evening, resistance forces ambushed a military column of about 60 personnel, comprising soldiers from Infantry Battalion 1 and Pyu Saw Htee members, near Sinteinchaungpauk village in Minhla Township. The engagement lasted approximately 45 minutes, after which the military council forces retreated with heavy casualties while resistance forces withdrew without losses.
Around 5 PM the same day, joint resistance forces launched another attack on the military council’s Sitkuntar Police Outpost along the Yangon-Pyay Road, resulting in 5 military personnel killed and many others wounded. Subsequently, resistance forces intercepted and attacked a military reinforcement vehicle carrying 25 personnel near Shanhtaw village, destroying the vehicle and wounding approximately 15 military council troops. During the battles, resistance forces seized ammunition, two phones, and communication devices from military council forces, while two resistance fighters sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The coordinated attacks were carried out by joint forces including the People’s Defense Force, Southern Command, Bago Division Command, Strategy 22 subordinate battalions, Ayeyarwady District Battalion 3, Ayeyarwady District Battalion 1’s Unit 6, Ayeyar Brothers PDF, PDF Special Force, and Asho Chin Defense Force.
During the fighting, military council forces opened fire on a civilian vehicle that continued driving after being signaled to stop while traveling from Pyay to Yangon, resulting in three civilian deaths and four injuries. Additionally, early on June 17th around 2 AM, artillery fire from military council forces struck Pharlaypin village, killing an 80-year-old woman named Daw Tin Yi. The Battalion 3 commander has requested civilians in Ayeyarwady District to avoid lingering near military council facilities, police stations, administrative offices, and outposts, and to cooperate with PDF announcements regarding security measures in the area. The resistance forces have stated their commitment to continuing military operations to establish greater control over western Bago Region through more effective combat operations.
