A military source reported on February 20th that the coup Military Council is amassing forces, alongside preparing tanks and armoured vehicles, in a bid to seize Hsihseng town in southern Shan State.
In order to recapture Hsihseng, currently under the control of the Pa-O National Liberation Army (PNLA), the Military Council has mobilized the 49th and 277th Infantry Battalions based in Mong Hsat and withdrawn weapons and war machines from the depots in Shwenyaung.
The military source elaborated that more battalions alert : The 287th/ 292nd/ 294th/ 296th and 514th Infantry Battalions, stationed in the southern and eastern regions of Shan State, alongside the 510th Light Infantry Battalion based in Kenghkam, have also been mobilized, underscoring the Junta's substantial preparations for the Hsihseng offensive, he noted.
"A temporary operation strategy is being prepared for the offensive under the direct leadership of the regional special operations commander. The Banyin area is being fortified, and the battalions under regional command are currently being mobilized”, the source told Shan Herald.
The coup regime has suffered a stunning series of military defeats and surrenders in northern Shan State since 1027 Three Brothers alliance campaign was launched. But the Junta failed to mount any major counter- offensive to recapture the many townships they lost to the revolutionary movement.
But this is southern Shan State where it now appears that the Military Council has decided to make a stand against the smaller Pa-O/ PNLA and the attempts to spread the revolution southwards.
Since falling under PNLA control, Hsihseng has been the target of aggressive airstrikes and shelling by the Junta, resulting in significant damage to homes and buildings.
Earlier this week, seven civilians were killed in Wartaw village, Hsihseng, as Junta troops bombed them using drones.
At approximately 9:00 pm on February 17th, artillery shells unleashed by the Military Council struck Htamyan and Htitam villages, resulting in the deaths of two civilians, including a child, and injuries to seven individuals, while also causing damage to several houses.
On February 12th, PNLA announced that following the battles in downtown Hsihseng, several bodies of Junta troops and allied Pa-O National Organization (PNO) members were discovered and properly cremated.
As a result of the ferocious clashes, nearly 100,000 residents from Hsihseng and Hopong have fled to Taunggyi and Shwenyaung, and residents of the two host cities are calling for assistance for these war-displaced individuals.
