Colonel Naw Bu Confirms Destruction of Nearly 20 Myanmar Military Vessels

Narinjara, September 19, 2026

Colonel Naw Bu, Information Officer for the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), has confirmed that allied revolutionary forces successfully targeted and destroyed nearly 20 military regime vessels along the Ayeyarwady River. The flotillas were attacked while traveling upstream toward Bhamo in Kachin State.

According to Colonel Naw Bu, the targeted fleet included warships, cargo vessels, and tug-and-barge convoys. The operations took place along the river stretches between Katha, Shwegu, and Bhamo, with major ambushes concentrated near Zinbon and Sinkhan.

"We engaged nearly 20 vessels in total," Colonel Naw Bu stated. "Some sank, some caught fire, and others were forced to dock along the riverbank for repairs. However, a few warships and cargo vessels did manage to reach Bhamo."

The Colonel noted a recent lull in riverine movements, stating that no junta vessels have traveled upstream from Mandalay or Shwegu for the past week to ten days. Instead, forces observed some ships retreating downstream from Bhamo, which were also targeted.

Despite the temporary pause in naval movement, ground volatility remains high.

“Fighting occurs almost constantly between Shwegu and Bhamo," the Colonel added. "Locations like Zinbon, Sinkhan, and areas near Bhamo see frequent ground clashes and regular junta airstrikes."

The success against the military flotilla follows a series of coordinated ambushes throughout September:

-September 16: The KIA and allied forces ambushed and sank two upstream-bound junta vessels near Zinbon and beneath the Sinkhan Bridge.

-September 14: Joint forces used a drone strike to sink a military vessel traveling downstream from Bhamo.

-September 13: Allied forces destroyed four vessels between Shwegu and Bhamo.

- September 2: Early morning ambushes destroyed four upstream-bound vessels.

On the same day, a separate flotilla was attacked while docked at Shwegu, destroying two pusher tugs by fire.

Out of the heavily contested flotillas, a total of seven vessels, two combat ships and five cargo vessels, ultimately managed to bypass the blockades and dock at Bhamo.