BAGO DIVISION – The junta council is said to be using extremely high amount of defenses to repair Natthankwin Bridge crossing the Sittaung River at Natthankwin Village in Kyaukkyi Township of eastern Bago Division as the bridge is of strategic importance for junta forces.
The defence forces detonated the bridge on June 6 during a battle to capture a junta base to block the junta reinforcement troops and the junta council is now rushing to fix the bridge.
“We heard that the bridge will be open to public till June 17 only and will be closed for repairs starting June 18. That bridge is an important route for the junta Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 351 and Infantry Battalion (IB) 60 based in Kyaukkyi and also an essential part of the route used to send reinforcement into the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) controlled territory. That’s why they will do anything to fix it,” explain a Natthankwin resident.
Currently, the junta council has reportedly delivered piles of gravel and iron frames to the west of the bridge to be used in repair works and has also set up large numbers of artillery troops and jammers to deter attacks by the defence forces.
There are said to be at least five jammers as well as drone guns deployed at both ends of the bridge, Kwinchaungwa Village, Natthankwin Village and Natthankwin Police Outpost.
In addition, junta troops have been firing 40mm, 60mm and 120mm shells daily from Kyauktagar and Penwegone Towns as well as Kwinchaungwa Village while junta soldiers have taken position in the deserted houses inside Natthankwin Village.
Moreover, landmines have been planted along the entrances to Natthankwin Village and several villagers were reported to have been injured after triggering those mines. There are also rumours that there will be reinforcement troops coming from junta Division 77 in the upcoming days.
During the June 6 battle at Natthankwin, KNLA forces attacked and captured five junta camps consecutively, killing 40 junta troops, injuring 13 and seizing a sizable amount of weapons and ammunition.