KARENNI STATE – Local military sources said that the junta council is adding more forces to the frontline camps in Karenni (Kayah) State.
It is reported that the junta soldiers from battalions based in Shan State are being transported daily by helicopter through Loikaw to Bawlakhae, Hpasawng, Ywarthit, and Maese where the clashes are intense.
“The junta forces from infantry battalion 54 in Loikaw are leaving in helicopters every day. There were more than two choppers leaving their base yesterday (July 20). The junta council is using helicopters to send troops to places where they can’t be sent on foot. It can be said that a large number of helicopters are being used to replenish their manpower,” a Karenni military source told the media.
A Hpasawng PDF official also confirmed that the junta council is continuously reinforcing its forces to prevent Karenni coalition forces from attacking the towns of Bawlakhae, Hpasawng, and Ywarthit.
“We are aware that the junta council is reinforcing its troops. We are also preparing but we can’t say when exactly a battle may break out,” said the official of Hpasawng PDF.
There have been continuous battles in the Karenni region since the Karenni coalition forces seized and controlled the Maese Town in the second week of June.
In addition to the military council’s air force, soldiers from the 55th, 66th, 44th, and 99th Military Divisions, the battalions under the No. 2 Operations Command Headquarters (Operations Command 2 and 18) are being reinforced in Karenni State where the junta troops were repeatedly attacked and defeated by the coalition of resistance forces.
Currently, Karenni joint forces are not only defensive but also bringing the counter-offensive on the battlefront, against the military council troops.