Myanmar claims to have killed 25 junta soldiers
News desk.
A total of 25 Myanmar junta soldiers and allied militia members were killed by the People’s Defense Force (PDF) in a village in Tamu Township in the Sagaing region last Wednesday (June 22nd).
The Tamu PDF and the Special Task Force, a resistance group, attacked the ruling forces and the pro-government Pew Sao Heti militia in the village of Pon Thar, south of the township.
The Tamu PDF said the operation was in response to a junta attack that killed 12 resistance fighters and detained three others in the Pointview Township in the Magway area early Wednesday morning.
The group called the operation “Operation Sun Ye” to pay tribute to Sun Ye, a resistance fighter killed in the village during clashes with ruling forces last year.
A representative of the Tamu PDF told The Irrawaddy on Friday that 11 ruling troops and 14 pro-government militia members had been confirmed dead in the five-hour clash. Five resistance fighters were injured.
As the junta strengthened, the resistance retreated and the soldiers began shelling a nearby village.
On Thursday evening, a resistance group in Tamu, near the village of Ian Lin Fin on the Kale-Tamu highway, launched a surprise attack on a junta convoy of more than 12 vehicles.
Tamu PDF said they only targeted junta vehicles and avoided civilians.
Two vehicles were damaged, but the number of casualties was not known. The convoy was heading towards Tamur after setting fire to the house and detaining three villagers.
On Friday, residents found their bodies after the soldiers opened fire, according to the Tamu PDF.
The junta faces daily attacks from PDFs and ethnic armed groups across the country.