Clashes broke out between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the junta’s armed forces in the Dawphoneyang area of Kachin State’s Momauk Township on Sunday evening, locals said.
The fighting took place around the Alaw Bum base, which had previously been occupied by the junta but was seized by the KIA on March 25.
“I think they launched a military operation against KIA bases that had fired heavy artillery,” said an area resident, who added that the KIA had also launched attacks against the regime’s outposts.
In its effort to reclaim Alaw Bum, the military had carried out an airstrike, but at the time of reporting, the base was still under KIA control.
A source close to the KIA told Myanmar Now that since 9 am, the Myanmar military had been attacking KIA positions in the area using ground troops.
He said that the junta’s forces had suffered heavy casualties, but Myanmar Now was unable to independently confirm any deaths in the battle.
When contacted by Myanmar Now, the KIA’s information officer Col Naw Bu said that it was still too early to comment on the fighting around Alaw Bum.
“There is a lot of artillery shelling and bombings everywhere now. Currently we are only hearing the news that people are sharing. We have yet to hear news from any official military bases, but I do not want to say that this news is false,” Col Naw Bu told Myanmar Now.
He added that tension remained high between the KIA and the junta’s forces due to intensified and frequent clashes.
Since March, the KIA has been launching offensives against the junta’s military bases in Hpakant, Mokaung, Waingmaw, Injanyang, and Momauk townships.
Initially, the regime responded with airstrikes against the KIA’s bases, but had moved into a ground offensive against Kachin forces.
The KIA has condemned the February 1 coup and urged the junta to end its violent suppression of protests across Myanmar, stating that the Kachin army would fight alongside citizens against the military dictatorship.
![Resistance fighters holding heavy weapons ammunition in central Myanmar. (Photo: Freedom Revolution Force [FRF])](https://myanmar-now.org/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/438869056_443267851680128_1706386881626943924_n-390x220.jpeg)
