YANGON: Myanmar’s military launched heavy air strikes on Monday to retake the town of Tabayin from pro-democracy insurgents after they seized it hours earlier, insurgents said. The escalation came as around 20,000 people fled another town, Indaw, amid a new offensive by anti-junta fighters.
The junta’s airstrikes targeted Tabayin in Sagaing region after it was captured by the People’s Defense Force (PDF), a militia opposed to the military regime. Bo Kyar Gyi, a PDF leader based in Tabayin, said the group was forced to retreat due to sustained airstrikes. “We had to retreat or suffer heavy casualties from the airstrikes,” Gyi told Radio Free Asia.
In response, the military dispatched Mi-35 attack helicopters from the Northwestern Regional Command headquarters in Monya to support ground forces attempting to regain control of the city. The PDF had captured Tabayin, a town of about 14,000 people, after several days of heavy fighting, attacking six positions held by the military and junta-backed militias.
The PDF, which is linked to the National Unity Government (NUG), reported that the last remaining junta soldiers abandoned their positions early Sunday. The insurgents captured two pro-junta militias and 123 junta administration staff and their families. More than 20 junta soldiers and militiamen and two PDF fighters were killed in the clashes.
Tabayin residents and PDF members reported widespread destruction from the airstrikes, with homes and other buildings badly damaged. The military has taken refuge in three local monasteries – Mya Thein Tan, Kone Thar Oo and Poba Yone – after the town’s police compound was destroyed.
The situation in Tabayin sparked a mass exodus, with some 20,000 people fleeing to nearby areas, including villages along the main road to Ye-U. The town’s strategic location, which links several key communities such as Monywa, Budalin and Ayadaw, has further increased its importance in the ongoing conflict.
Meanwhile, around 20,000 people have also fled the city of Indaw, about 250 km north of Mandalay. The PDF launched an offensive against police and military positions in Indaw on Friday, to which the junta responded with harsh measures, including air strikes. Residents reported that most of the population had fled towards Kachin State and the city was almost deserted.
According to the United Nations, around three million people have been displaced by the conflict in Myanmar. Many of them have fled because the violence has increased, especially since the beginning of the year.
