In Salin Township, Magway Region, two consecutive days of clashes between military council forces and revolutionary groups resulted in three military council soldiers killed and at least eight others wounded, according to Ko Thu Lay, commander of Dawn Fighter (LPDF). On May 4, a military council column of over 100 troops entered Salin Township from Ngantaman area near Sinphyukyun town, advancing towards Chaungphyu village and Htwet Lei Oo area. During their advance, they encountered resistance forces, leading to a battle that resulted in three military council soldiers being killed and at least eight others wounded.
Following the significant casualties sustained in the engagement, the military council forces retreated that evening. On May 5, revolutionary forces reinforced their positions and launched another attack on the same military column near Nayputar village and Kukkutan village. While there were confirmed casualties on the military council side during the second day of fighting, the exact numbers could not be verified. While the first day’s battle involved about four revolutionary groups, the second day saw increased participation with up to eight revolutionary groups joining forces to pursue and engage the military column with full strength.
The revolutionary forces reported facing operational challenges during the battles due to civilian movement in the area. They had to restrict some attacks and mine-laying operations to avoid civilian casualties. Despite warnings to civilians to avoid travel during the military column’s presence, compliance was limited. As a result, revolutionary forces have appealed to civilians to exercise caution in their movements and avoid restricted areas during military operations. The resistance groups emphasized the importance of civilian safety and requested cooperation from local residents to prevent any accidental casualties during future engagements with military council forces.
