Resistance Destroys Five More Regime Vessels on Bhamo Mission
Kachin Independence Army (KIA)-led forces reportedly destroyed five more regime vessels including two gunboats during fighting in Shwegu Township, Kachin State on Wednesday, according to local reports.
Two of the vessels were destroyed by resistance drones at dock in Shwegu town as they transported ammunition upstream to Bhamo.
Meanwhile, two regime gunboats and a barge were torched and sunk as they made the return trip from Bhamo following last week’s disastrous resupply mission. Aerial footage released by the resistance shows the barge exploding under escort by the gunboats.
KIA spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
Katha and Shwegu townships on the Mandalay-Kachin border have been gripped by months of intense fighting as the regime pushes to seize control of the Irrawaddy River route, its only supply line to encircled bases in Bhamo.
Jet fighters, ground troops, and gunboats bombarded villages along the route to clear the path after the previous flotilla of 15 vessels left Mandalay on August 21. However, resistance attacks at the Sinkhan Bridge chokepoint in Shwegu destroyed, burned or sank eight of the vessels, with around 190 regime soldiers and family members surrendering to KIA-led forces last Wednesday. Only seven vessels reportedly managed to reach Bhamo on Thursday.
Despite the defeat, the regime dispatched another convoy of around 30 vessels from Mandalay on September 4. It includes the four vessels attacked in Shwegu town and six more traveling upstream from Katha. The remaining 20 vessels have reportedly docked at Maungkone village, near the China-backed Tagaung Nickel factory in Sagaing Region’s Tigyaing Township. The regime recaptured the factory in March following a two-year counteroffensive against resistance forces. Locals believe the vessels docked nearby are being used to transport nickel to Mandalay.
The arrival of regime reinforcements from Bhamo has triggered intense fighting around Sinkhan Bridge, which was destroyed by airstrikes on Sunday.
Regime forces in Bhamo are also pushing eastwards into resistance-held Momauk, a source close to the KIA told The Irrawaddy. He said KIA forces were struggling to hold their positions amid a shortage of weapons and ammunition.
Former army captain Zin Yaw, who defected following the 2021 coup, said that vessels traveling upstream have been deployed to escort the remnants of their predecessor back to Mandalay. Citing military airdrops in the Sinkhan Bridge area, he stated that the regime is pushing to secure the area before its vessels attempt the return journey to Mandalay.
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