Heavy Fighting Rages in Myawaddy Township Near Myanmar-Thailand Border

Fierce clashes between the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and Myanmar military junta forces have escalated along the Hpalu-Wawlay Road south of Myawaddy, near the Thai border, according to local military sources and displaced residents.

Heavy fighting has been reported daily since Sept. 25 along a strategic mountain ridge west of Lay Kay Kaw in Myawaddy Township—part of Dooplaya District under the Karen National Union’s (KNU) administrative system.

KNLA-led resistance forces launched ambushes against advancing regime troops, with combat most intense around the Theahpyuchaung area.

“They’ve been trying to advance, so we’re trying to stop them from moving forward through the highland area,” said a soldier from KNLA Brigade 6 operating in Dooplaya District. “Every time their attempts fail, the junta brings in reinforcements from Lay Kay Kaw and tries again. It won’t be easy for them to break through on the ground.”

To penetrate KNLA defenses, the junta has deployed airstrikes, attack drones, and heavy artillery support.

Shelling from both sides has frequently landed near Min Let Pan and Hpalu villages, preventing displaced civilians from returning home.

“We still hear gunfire every day around Hpalu and Min Let Pan,” said a villager displaced from Hpalu for over a year. “It’s not full-scale fighting every minute, but no one dares to go back.”

Regime forces have intensified ground and air operations since July to secure territorial control and safeguard a critical military base near the Thai border.

The continuous bombardment has severely disrupted local conditions, leaving displaced communities facing acute food shortages.

Meanwhile, tensions remain high in nearby Kawkareik Township, where resistance forces report the junta is actively rotating troops along the Myawaddy-Kawkareik highway using units based in Hpa-An, the capital of Karen State.