Bridge linking Sagaing to Mandalay Region destroyed; 50,000 residents displaced by fighting in Sagaing Region

Bridge linking Sagaing to Mandalay Region destroyed 

Residents in Sagaing Region told DVB that the Yadana Sinkha Bridge across the Irrawaddy River was destroyed by a mine on Wednesday. The bridge connects Sagaing’s Kyaukmyaung town, which is controlled by regime forces, with Mandalay Region’s Singu town, which is under People’s Defence Force (PDF) control. 

“Residents can’t use the bridge as regime and PDF forces control opposite sides,” a Singu resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity, adding that the destruction occurred near his side of the bridge. Zaw Min Tun, the regime spokesperson, blamed the PDF for the bridge’s destruction. Singu residents told DVB that the Burma Air Force carried out five airstrikes in Singu after the bridge was destroyed. 

Singu, located 60 miles (98 km) north of Mandalay, was seized by the PDF in July 2024. The PDF announced on Oct. 29 that it would not withdraw from Mogok Township in Mandalay Region. The statement came just hours after the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the regime in Naypyidaw signed a ceasefire, under which the TNLA pledged to relinquish control of Mogok and Momeik in northern Shan State.