According to local military sources, at least 40 members of the military council forces, including one major and four officers, were killed during battles in Htanku village on the Asia Highway in Kawkareik Township, Karen State. The fighting, which occurred between August 4 and August 17, resulted in significant casualties for the military council forces, with additional personnel reported missing. The heavy losses have led to internal conflicts between military strategists from Light Infantry Division 55’s rear strategy command and Infantry Battalion 545, with mutual accusations regarding operational failures.
Currently, the military council forces have intensified their air strikes on all villages within Kawkareik Township to prevent military operations by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). On August 17 at 8:37 AM, a military council fighter jet conducted aerial attacks, flying along the route of Kyun Doe, Tharawaw, Taung Kya Inn, and An Kaung villages, bombing areas around Kyaik Thalite, Baw Dine region, Ant Phalar vicinity, and battle zones along the Asia Highway. These aerial operations represent an escalation in the military council’s attempts to maintain control over the region despite suffering significant losses on the ground.
Local military sources indicate that these recent battles have resulted in substantial losses for the military council forces, leading to deteriorating morale among their troops. The poor operational management during the battles has exacerbated tensions between commanding officers at different levels of the military hierarchy. As the military council attempts to conceal their losses, they have increased aerial attacks on civilian areas, resulting in continued destruction of local residents’ lives and property. The situation highlights the ongoing pattern of the military council’s response to battlefield setbacks by intensifying actions against civilian populations, causing further humanitarian concerns in the region.
