KIA controls around 100 military council camps, including eight cities : Myanmar

From the beginning of 2024, offensives by the Kachin Liberation Army (KIA) and allied groups have become increasingly fragmented.

From the beginning of this year, between May 8th and Mabym in Kachin State and northern Shan State, beautiful city easy gel Doctor Phoyan, new city Sinbo It has been confirmed that the Kachin Liberation Army (KIA) controls around 100 military bases, including eight towns in Injanyang and Suamprabom. KIA is also trying to make the administration run in those cities.

"As KIA, we can see that they are mainly attacking Kachin State."

Colonel Nobu, in charge of KIA news and information, told RFA that the military council's sources of funding and support channels have been limited to a certain extent within Kachin state.

"I don't think it will be easy to maintain their troops as they are strong and intact. Also, their income has been disrupted a lot. Pick up as much as you like in the same way as before, I can't get it now because I've been using it."

On April 8th, the KIA took complete control of the Chinese border trade city of Sejal, which is receiving funding for the military council, and the main entrance roads to the jade land Phakant, such as Myitkyina-Fakant Road. Moe Nying-Phakant Road and Hummlin-Phakant Road are also under control.

On May 5, the KIA took over the town of Suangprabom on the Myitkyina-Putao Union highway, and on May 7, the KIA also took over the base of the 21st Operation Command Headquarters (SKA) in the village of Sue Khan, which is connected by road to Van Maw and Katha.

The large camp, including military council camps that have been based around Laiza, the KIA headquarters, for decades. All the small camps were captured, and after the operation that started on March 7th, more than eighty strategic military camps were captured.

During the renewed military conflict that started back in June 2011, the army controlled the area around Laiza and established military camps, but the KIA was able to recapture it more than ten years later.

A former military officer who did not want to be named said that the success of KIA operations in such a short period of time includes the fact that drone technology can be used.

"Even in the mainland of the region, PDFs can keep the army busy. So the army could not send reinforcements there. That's the main problem. Another thing is technical, Drone technology. In the technical part, I only went to those three things at the beginning."

He also believed that the Military Council Army had been defeated due to management and strategic mistakes, and that the Military Council Army would soon regain control.

RFA contacted Military Council Spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun and Kachin State Spokesperson Social Affairs Minister U Moe Min Thein for feedback on the military situation in Kachin State, but received no response.

A Kachin political analyst believes that the current operation led by the KIA and its allies is to control the entire Kachin state.

"As KIA, we can see that they are mainly attacking Kachin State. These days, I see sections that are mainly blocked around Van Mao. Strategic Roads These are the first offensives and offensives with army groups including KIA. Therefore, it can be said that the whole state"

Those who study politics also consider that the military council is looking for various ways to escape from the military defeats that Kachin State is currently facing.

According to a list compiled by the RFA, fighting intensified due to sporadic operations by the KIA and its allies, and in the first four months of 2024, 62 civilians were killed by the military council's airstrikes and heavy weapons in seven cities of Kachin State.