People’s Defence Force seizes military outposts in Bago Region and Mon State

The People’s Defence Force (PDF) operating in Mon State’s Bilin Township and Bago Region’s Shwegyin Township stated on Sunday that 13 regime troops were killed during a battle to seize two regime outposts April 7-12.

It added that the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF) seized control over the two outposts from regime forces.

Shwegyin, located 64 miles (102 km) north of the region’s capital Bago, is located in Karen National Union (KNU) Brigade 3 territory. Bilin, located 69 miles (111 km) north of the Mon State capital Mawlamyine, is located in KNU Brigade 1 territory.

The PDF and allied resistance forces killed five, wounded 10 others, and detained two regime troops during five days of fighting before seizing the Bilin’s Laykay outpost on April 12, it stated on April 12.

Eight regime troops were killed while at least 30 others abandoned the Letyet outpost in Bago’s Shwegyin when it was seized by the PDF on April 7.

Over 13,000 residents from 13 villages in Bilin were displaced from their homes due to the fighting, according to the KNU.

At least 30 homes and two monasteries in Bilin were either damaged or destroyed by airstrikes carried out by the Myanmar Air Force April 1-5, the KNU added.

At least 10 regime troops were killed and 20 others were injured by KNLA-led resistance forces, including the PDF, during a rescue of over 300 civilians used by regime forces as “human shields” in Yei Twin Gone village tract of Bago’s Nyaunglebin Township on an unspecified date, according to the National Unity Government (NUG).

It added that at least 11 PDF and KNLA members were killed during this operation. Nyaunglebin, 50 miles (80 km) north of Bago and 73 miles (117 km) west of Shwegyin, is in KNU Brigade 3 territory.