The coup junta, facing a series of losses on northern battlefields and continuously losing control of towns to resistance forces, has intensified military operations in Kyaikto and Ye townships in Mon State, southern Myanmar.
This escalation has resulted in frequent clashes between the junta forces and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the armed wing of the Karen National Union (KNU), which is active in those areas. After months of relative calm, hostilities have recently reignited in Kyaikto, a region under KNU control.
On July 22, a junta column advancing towards Peinhnekone Village in Kyaikto Township was ambushed by the KNLA and the People's Defense Force (PDF) coalition. The following day, skirmishes erupted in two locations around Theinzayat Village.
16 civilians were killed and more than 30 were injured in Kyaikto as the junta forces indiscriminately shelled civilian areas with artillery during and after the clashes, according to locals.
Similarly, in Ye Township, newly recruited conscripts were assigned to battalions under the No. 19 Military Operations Command (MOC-19), and the junta began deploying them for area clearance operations.
Nai Naga, spokesperson for the Mon State Revolutionary Force (MSRF), told Than Lwin Times that the resistance coalition forces have anticipated the possibility of increased junta military activities in the region and have prepared military plans to respond accordingly.
"We’ve observed that junta battalions under MOC-19 are conducting area clearance operations in the south and north of Ye Township. We also predict that sooner or later, they will arrive in the areas where we are deployed. Then we will take appropriate military action,” he said.
Nai Banyar Mon, spokesperson for the New Mon State Party - Anti Dictatorship (NMSP-AD), stated that the junta's military activities have also been intensifying around Mawtkanin Village in Ye Township recently.
A local resident informed Than Lwin Times that he heard gunshots in Mawtkanin Village on July 25, but the situation did not escalate into serious clashes.
"Junta troops are stationed around the village. There were some exchanges of fire, but it didn’t escalate into a major battle. Both sides seem to be monitoring the situation,” he said.
Due to the shootouts, Mawtkanin villagers have been warned not to leave their homes after 6:00 PM and are refraining from going to the orchards. Some residents are digging bomb shelter pits in advance, fearing potential airstrikes by the junta, while others are preparing evacuation plans in case the intensity of the battle escalates.
On the morning of July 25, local witnesses confirmed hearing gunshots both north and south of Ye, but the details of the fighting remain unclear. Nai Naga urged resistance groups in the south to intensify their fight against the junta, drawing inspiration from the successful establishment of liberated areas in the northern part of the country.
"In the current period, with more liberated areas in the northern part of the country, we southerners must put more effort into the revolution. For the people to live without worry, the junta's control needs to be completely eradicated. We ask the public to inform us if they see any activities of junta troops. If junta troops invade the villages, villagers should carry only important documents and belongings and evacuate as soon as possible,” he said.
Mawtkanin Village is home to the junta's 106th Infantry Battalion and 317th Artillery Battalion. On July 25, at least four armed clashes broke out around the village.
