The Junta set fire to the wreckage of its helicopter near Bawlakhe Township, shot down by Karenni resistance forces on May 6 in an attempted to destroy the evidence, but footage of the wreckage had already been obtained by the Karenni Army before being burnt, according to Colonel Phone Naing.
"On that day, our joint forces were ready for two Junta helicopters to arrive, and we unleashed heavy gunfire. The first helicopter attempted to land near the base of the 134th Infantry Battalion but was hit by our fire, forcing it to retreat and the other followed hastily. The damaged helicopter crashed several miles away from Bawlakhe Township. Another helicopter guarded the wreckage until the Junta’s ground forces arrived. The helicopter later retrieved bodies and wounded from the crash site and flew to Bawlakhe. On the same day, Junta forces salvaged usable parts from the wreckage and burned the rest to eliminate evidence”, he elaborated.
Colonel Phone Naing further disclosed that 8 Junta troops, including the pilots were killed,. "We received information that there were 11 people aboard the helicopter, and 8 of them have died. This means that only 3 people survived the crash”, he said
It was discovered that the downed aircraft was a Russian Mi-17 military helicopter. The helicopter was shot down as it approached Hpasawng Township amid ongoing clashes.
The resistance forces also shared drone footage depicting the wreckage of the downed helicopter.
According to the resistance sources a total of 8 helicopters and other aircraft have been shot down during 2023- 24 period.
Clashes erupted around the wreckage following the helicopter's downing, Tar Eh Soe, spokesperson for the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) told Kantarawaddy Times on May 7.
In a separate incident, frontline sources reported that a Junta vehicle traveling from Htuchaung to Bawlakhe was struck by a landmine laid by the resistance forces on May 6, resulting in the destruction of the entire vehicle and casualties, according to frontline sources.
For more than two months, the Karenni resistance forces have been engaged in offensives in Hpasawng Township, aiming to seize control of the entrenched 134th and 135th Infantry Battalions under the Junta’s command, leading to prolonged conflicts in the town.
