Military Convoy of Over 300 Vehicles Advances Toward Katha as Junta Columns Enter Northern Sagaing Region
A massive Myanmar military convoy consisting of more than 300 vehicles has arrived in Tigyaing Township, while advancing infantry columns have crossed into neighboring Katha Township in northern Sagaing Region, according to local residents and resistance forces.
The troop movement marks a significant push north from Mandalay toward strategic locations in Sagaing Region and neighboring Kachin State.
Ground reports indicate that infantry units reached villages near the entrance of Katha Town on September 29, including Thanpuyar Village, to clear and secure the route for the main convoy currently staged in Tigyaing.
Estimates regarding the total strength of the infantry forces vary, with ground sources reporting troop counts between 700 and 1,700 personnel.
Military analysts and local resistance fighters suggest the convoy could be headed toward Indaw Township’s Maw Luu Town or Kachin State’s Mawhun Village, with Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, remaining a potential final destination.
"What we know is that the convoy is heading from Mandalay toward Katha," a local resistance fighter told KNG. "Once it reaches Katha, it remains unclear whether it will advance to Myitkyina or deploy around Maw Luu and Mawhun."
The surge in military traffic follows the recent reopening of the Tigyaing-Katha Road to commercial and passenger transport after local residents repaired sections previously damaged by resistance forces to block junta advances.
Ground transport between Mandalay and Myitkyina relies on two primary highways running along the Ayeyarwady River.
The eastern route passes through Madaya, Tagaung, Tigyaing, Indaw, and Maw Luu before reaching Myitkyina. The western route runs through Sagaing, Shwebo, and Indaw, where it merges with the eastern corridor.
Both routes have experienced prolonged closures, detours, and heavy clashes over the past year.
While the junta reopened parts of the eastern route in May following counter-offensives in Indaw and Maw Luu, ongoing hostilities have forced commercial drivers to rely on bypass routes and river ferries.
Previous major re-supply operations along the eastern highway occurred in May and June, when a 200-vehicle military convoy successfully reached the Northern Region Military Command headquarters in Myitkyina despite sustained ambushes along the corridor.
Local monitoring groups and resistance forces continue to track the movement of the 300-vehicle column as it prepares to advance further north from Tigyaing.
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