Reinforcements from the Military Council, en route to Nam San Yan village in Waingmaw Township, Kachin State, encountered an ambush near Gat Mai Yang and Jar Pu villages. The situation remains highly intense as the fighting persists, locals said.
Nam San Yan, situated between Waingmaw and Laiza, holds strategic importance. The Military Council is launching an assault on Nam San Yan using three separate military columns. These columns consist of forces from Myitkyina and Waingmaw, a contingent advancing along the Ayeyarwady River from Talawgyi, and another column departing from Bhamo.
On July 12th at approximately 8:00 am, the column originating from the Shwe Nyaung Pin military outpost headed towards Nam San Yan to provide support to their fellow Military Council troops who had been ambushed by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) near Jar Pu village.
"In the past few days, the military column that moved from Myitkyina and Waingmaw has reached Shwe Nyaung Pin, and appears to be continuing their march towards Nam San Yan. The exact number of personnel in the column is unknown. The ongoing battle between Gat Mai Yang and Jar Pu is intense, with continuous shelling heard since 8:00 am , a Jar Pu villager told KNG.
Due to the clashes, most of the residents in Jar Pu have fled, leaving only a few individuals engaged in hillside farming, and their safety becomes a pressing concern.
"For the past three days, the situation in the region has been relatively calm. However, there are recent reports indicating that Military Council forces from Bhamo and Talawgyi are marching towards Nam San Yan. It appears that KIA initiated a preemptive strike on the Military Council's advancing column from the Waingmaw side as it traversed Jar Pu”, a Nam San Yan villager said.
On the evening of July 11th, aircraft belonging to the Military Council were observed flying around Nam San Yan village, conducting reconnaissance activities, he added. The Military Council aimed to establish a formidable base on the hill adjacent to Nam San Yan village, situated along the Myitkyina-Bhamo Road. To achieve this objective, they launched simultaneous attacks from three different directions. As a result the entire region is now enveloped in a tense atmosphere of militarization. .
Reports are circulating that the Military Council has also deployed reinforcements in Laiza, a town situated beyond Nam San Yan.
Since July 3rd, intense clashes have been taking place in the vicinity of Nam San Yan. As a result, locals have been seeking refuge in Myitkyina, Waingmaw, and Laiza during this period.
