KIA Seizes Military Cargo Ship Heading to Shwe Ku in Kachin State

Khaing Lu Hla (Roma Mray)

Narinjara, 30 August 2026

A military cargo ship traveling along the Ayeyarwady River toward Shwe Ku in Kachin State has been seized by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and its allied forces, according to local reports.

The incident began on August 27, when the KIA and allied resistance groups ambushed a flotilla of military vessels moving from Katha to Shwe Ku. During the engagement, one cargo ship was heavily damaged and disabled.

Junta forces initially attempted to tow the crippled vessel, but the effort failed.

In response, the military stationed a detachment of troops in Bo Kone village to guard the stranded ship while the rest of the fleet continued toward Shwe Ku.

However, the guard detachment later abandoned their post out of fear of an imminent assault by the KIA and local People's Defense Forces (PDF). This allowed the resistance coalition to easily capture the vessel and its cargo.

The remaining military vessels reached Shwe Ku on August 28, where they immediately came under heavy resistance attacks utilizing suicide drones. Local residents reported that the fleet was targeted while unloading cargo at the Shwe Ku port.

According to the Kachin News Group (KNG), the drone strikes killed more than 10 junta soldiers at the port. Following the attack, military authorities closed the ports and launched retaliatory airstrikes, bombing the areas surrounding Shwe Ku.