An alliance of seven local anti-junta guerrilla forces attacked a police station in the village of Kan Htoo Ma in Sagaing Region’s Taze Township early Wednesday morning, according to members of the resistance.
There were reportedly around 60 soldiers and police officers inside the station at the time of the ambush, which took place at 4:30am and lasted almost an hour and a half, a member of the Taze local defence force said.
“We started firing artillery shells first and then attacked them up close. We managed to get the upper hand,” he told Myanmar Now. “They used RPG launchers and the shells hit the village multiple times,” he added, referring to the junta’s armed forces.
It was not known at the time of reporting if or how many villagers were injured by the military’s reported heavy weapon fire.
The resistance alliance involved in the attack included groups from both Taze and Mingin townships, including two under the National Unity Government’s People’s Defence Forces, as well as other local defence forces.
“We retreated right after we attacked them. We could have gone inside and seized the station but [we did not], because there could be landmines set up around the station and we didn’t want to lose anyone,” the Taze defence force member said.
The resistance group released a statement on Thursday saying that several junta personnel and two guerrilla fighters were injured in the incident.
Around 20 troop reinforcements and members of the pro-military Pyu Saw Htee network arrived at the station on Wednesday night, and on Thursday morning reportedly destroyed shops in Kan Htoo Ma, according to the Taze defence force member who spoke to Myanmar Now.
Myanmar Now was unable to independently verify his statement at the time of reporting.
The military council has sent more than 100 reinforcements to Taze, a known resistance stronghold, since early February.
Junta troops based in Taze have been linked to raids on villages in the northern part of the township that included the torching and destruction of local homes, resistance forces have said.
Several defence forces confirmed that the column was stationed in Pu Tee village for one week until Wednesday, and during that time the troops destroyed some 20 houses, as well as 10 more in neighbouring Pay Chaung on Wednesday.
Defence force alliances have carried out frequent attacks on police stations and military bases in northwestern Myanmar in an attempt to drive out the junta occupation.
One such alliance attacked the Winmana police station in Kani Township on February 5.
The military responded by carrying out airstrikes on villages in the neighbouring townships.
The junta spokesperson was not available for comment on the reports of violence.
