Myanmar junta offensive and airstrikes destroy over 160 homes in Pale Township

Mizzima

A sustained military offensive involving heavy airstrikes and ground assaults has destroyed more than 160 civilian homes in Pale Township, Yinmabin District, between late February and 5 April.

Local residents and revolutionary sources report that the escalation followed a major shift in the local conflict landscape after Bo Nagar (also known as Naing Lin), the high-profile leader of the Burma National Revolutionary Army (BNRA), defected to the military on 18 February.

The defection of Bo Nagar, who was reportedly airlifted out of Pale by military helicopters alongside his family, provided the junta with critical intelligence on resistance hideouts and internal structures.

Residents said that this offensive differed from previous operations, as approximately 300 troops moved with precision toward specific targets in villages including Chin Pyit, North Pitauk Kone, Mon Thwin, and Ywar Naung.

The military utilized a diverse aerial arsenal to maintain pressure, including assault helicopters, drones, gyrocopters, and even paramotors to drop explosives. A monastery in Mon Thwin village was among the many structures completely destroyed by these daily aerial barrages.

Some civilian homes have been so severely damaged that they are no longer habitable. Bombs completely destroyed some homes, leaving nothing but the bare ground. They (junta troops) have been dropping bombs almost every day over the past few days,” the local said.

Despite the intense air support, junta forces reportedly suffered significant losses during ground engagements. In March, People’s Defence Forces (PDF) launched a counterattack on junta troops stationed in Chin Pyit Village, where locals later discovered between eight and nine bodies of junta soldiers following their withdrawal.

“At the site of the battle, we discovered eight or nine bodies of junta troops. We found out that military commission troops stationed in Chin Pyit village were falling one after another. It can be said that the military side suffered more fatalities,” another local said.

As of early April, junta troops have shifted their operations toward Pale town and surrounding villages, establishing strongholds in Mya Kone, Kokko Kone, and the pro-military Pyu Saw Htee village of Zee Phyu Kone.