By Hlaing / MPA
According to the residents, residents of Myitkyina are planning to flee from war due to battles between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the State Administration Council (SAC) army in Bahmo and Mansi townships.
After battles ceased due to floods for more than a month broke out frequently in Bhamo, Momauk, and Myitkyina townships starting on 24 July 2024, residents of Myitkyina are preparing to flee from war like this.
“Now, people are claiming that people from Myitkyina city must flee from the war from 1 September to 4 September. We don’t exactly know which organization spread this information. But that news is circulating in the city,” a man who lives in Myitkyina city told MPA.
Artillery Battalions, Engineer Battalions, Logistic Battalions, Field Medical Battalions, and Infantry Battalions including Northern Command located in Myitkyina, Mokaung Military Operation Command (no.3 Military Operation Command), Regional Operation Command located in Dani township, no.21 Military Operation Command located in Bahmo city are located in Kachin State.
“In the last months, there has been no battle inside the Bhamo city, but we heard artillery strikes from the edges of the city. Now, we have to take care even inside the city. Some flee to nearby Katha, Mandalay, and Yangon cities. We can’t exactly say what the situations are. The connections are cut off for about a month,” a woman who fled to Mandalay from Bahmo city said.
Moreover, KIA is operating offensives to capture the last SAC Army’s bases, no.319 Light Infantry Battalion and no.601 Infantry Battalion, in Mansi township and they captured an outpost of those two Battalions on 20 August.
“No one is left in Mansi city. They all escaped the conflict. Animals such as cows and buffalos died on the roads. Mansi city is adjacent to Bahmo city. There are almost no residents in Momauk and Mansi cities,” a man who knows the ground situation remarked.
Furthermore, due to the blockage of Mandalay-Myitkyina road by KIA due to battles in Indaw township, which is close the Kachin State and Sagaing region border, and battles between SAC Army and KIA on Mandalay – Bhamo road starting from 12 August, the locals are facing hardships in commuting.
“Due to the blockage of roads, we have to send money or letters via trustworthy people found in Facebook groups who will return to Bahmo by airline. The price of airline ticket has been raised to 300,000 Myanmar Kyat,” a 30-year-old man who works in Mandalay remarked.
Myanmar National Airline notified on 21 August (today) that the Mandalay-Bhamo flight will be postponed for a day and resume normally on 22 August.
Starting from 24 July, KIA operated an offensive on no.437 Infantry Battalion for nearly a month, eventually capturing it completely around 3:00 PM on 19 August.
That capture posed a threat to Northern Command in Myitkyina and also raised the concerns of the people in Myitkyina, Bahmo, and Winemaw townships.
Moreover, connections were cut off for the entire state of Kachin from 21 July to 21 August and Ooredoo phone connections are now available again in Myitkyina, Hopin, Shwegu, and Hpakant townships only with limit in these days.
Starting from 7 March 2023, the KIA ramped up their offensives and conquered Loije border trade city, Momauk, Sumprabum, Sinbo, Sadung, N Jang Yang, Dawthponeyan and Myohla townships including over 200 SAC Army’s based located on Bahmo-Loije road and Winemaw-Laiza road.
