Myanmar Junta Convoy Forces Civilian Vehicles for Transport from Mandalay to Myitkyina
A Myanmar military convoy traveling from Mandalay to Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, has ordered civilian vehicles and forced them to travel alongside the regime's transport columns, according to residents and resistance forces.
The convoy, moving toward Kachin State via the Tigyaing–Katha Road section in upper Sagaing Region, comprises at least 80 vehicles, including heavy 12-wheel cargo trucks. As of October 13, the transport columns were passing through Maw Luu town in Indaw Township.
"There are reportedly more than 80 vehicles in the convoy, including 12-wheelers. Some vehicles have started entering Maw Luu, while others have already passed through the town. They’re not all traveling together as one group but are moving in separate groups," a resistance fighter operating along the Tigyaing–Katha Road section said.
The military regime has also forcibly seized civilian-owned cargo trucks traveling with the convoy to transport construction materials belonging to a military officer, according to a family member of a truck owner familiar with the affected drivers.
"My older sister’s truck was also commandeered. Another truck owner I know went to Madaya town in Mandalay Region after being told he had to deliver cement from there to Myitkyina. But in reality, his truck was ordered to join. He had no choice but to comply after they loaded military construction materials onto his truck," he said.
While the commandeered trucks have been forced to accompany the military convoy, their current locations and safety conditions remain unverified.
On the afternoon of October 11, resistance coalition forces launched a drone strike on a signal-jamming vehicle traveling within the junta convoy, setting it ablaze, resistance sources reported.
Before the convoy's arrival, junta infantry battalions were already conducting offensive operations in Indaw Township, triggering fierce clashes with local resistance fighters.
"We don’t know exactly what the junta is planning. Its main goal may be to reinforce its manpower and weapons. The junta has previously vowed to retake all the positions it lost. It is also trying to block local resistance forces’ supply routes," the resistance fighter added.
In May and June, the regime repeatedly deployed military convoys carrying hundreds of vehicles from Mandalay to Kachin State, frequently mixing civilian cargo and passenger vehicles with military transports.
Amid severe security risks posed to civilians by the regime's ongoing operations and convoy movements, Katha District PDF Battalion 1 issued a formal warning on October 10, urging the public to avoid traveling along the route.
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