After the KIA captured the last remaining junta camp in Sumprabum Town, Kachin State, the town is now under control, a KIA source told MPA.
The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) was able to capture the 46th Infantry Battalion near Sumprabum on the morning of May 5, 2024.
“That camp was captured this morning, and the town is under control. That camp is the last remaining camp in Sumprabum,” said the KIA source.
Starting on March 16, 2024, the military junta-affiliated police station and departmental offices in SumprabumTown were captured by KIA and KPDF joint forces. After being blockaded for two months, the 46th Infantry Battalion was finally captured on May 5, and the town is now under the control of the KIA.
“If the camp is lost, the town will be given up. So, the junta used air attacks many times to save the town. But we blocked it for two months; it can be said that the morale of the junta soldiers is chaotic, and the camp has fallen,” said a KPDF soldier.
Currently, the military junta is carrying out continuous aerial bombardments on Sumprabum, so residents are fleeing, a resident from Sumprabum says.
“Until this morning, they are still bombing continuously, and nearby villages are also fleeing,” said a resident of Suamprabom.
During the battle to seize the camp, there were casualties on both sides, and the KIA seized a large number of weapons from the military junta, according to the KIA source.
In addition, the KIA also seized provisions that were airdropped by the military junta during the battle.
Due to the current fierce fighting in Kachin State, the Myitkyina-Putao road has been closed by the KIA and the junta, resulting in the local people having a hard time due to the exorbitant price increase.