In Waingmaw Township, across the Ayeyarwady River from Myitkyina Township in Kachin State, military tensions remain high between the Junta and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), as fighting moves towards downtown wards according to locals.
On the night of May 21, with support from the Arakan Army (AA) and the People's Defense Force (PDF), KIA successfully captured the Shwe Nyaung Bin base, the Junta's last remaining fortification along the Waingmaw-Laiza Road, which houses the 321st Light Infantry Battalion.
At present, KIA has seized control of all major Junta bases along the Waingmaw-Laiza Road, with the exception of the Junta's 58th Battalion base in Waingmaw.
After KIA took control of the Shwe Nyaung Bin base, the Junta launched a series of bombardments targeting the conflict zones, utilizing both airstrikes and artillery battalions based in Myitkyina.
On May 22, around 10:00 am gunshots were heard in Ward No. 3, near the Waingmaw Police Station, indicating that the clashes had started to spread to the downtown area, a local source told MNJ.
"Gunfights erupted in Ward No. 3, just behind the police station, signaling that the conflict has reached the heart of town”, he said.
Reports are circulating about casualties among police personnel due to a drone bombing attack on the Waingmaw police station, but MNJ cannot confirm this information properly.
As the sounds of booming artillery around Waingmaw grow louder each night, many locals have begun evacuating the town.
Amid escalating clashes, many Waingmaw residents are seeking temporary refuge in war refugee camps located in Labang, Nawn Chain, and Hankaw villages, while some others are seeking shelter with friends and relatives in Myitkyina.
Residents of Aung Myay No. 1 and 2 villages near Waingmaw have been displaced since March as a result of the ongoing conflict. Following the incident in which six local civilians were killed by artillery shells hitting Khatshu village, the villagers fled to safety.
Along the Waingmaw-Laiza Road, a string of villages including Khar Shi, Inlay, Aung Myay 1, Aung Myay 2, Shwe Nyaung Bin, Garrayang, Kazuyang, Dabatyang, Kantawyang, and Namsangyang can be found, with KIA's Laiza headquarters situated in Namsangyang.
On May 18, the KIA launched simultaneous attacks on the base of the 321st Light Infantry Battalion, the closest Junta fortification to downtown Waingmaw, as well as its surrounding outposts and encampments.
Within two days of launching the offensive, KIA seized control of the Kazu base situated on the edge of the Dabat Bridge, along with the strategically vital Longzarkawng base positioned between Garrayang village and the 321st Light Infantry Battalion base. Then the 321st Light Infantry Battalion base also fell into the hands of KIA on the night of May 21.
In addition to capturing the Junta bases and encampments around Waingmaw without pausing, KIA troops successfully neutralized Junta soldiers stationed in schools, residential houses, monasteries, and pagoda yards in the area.
Meanwhile in Myitkyina, situated across the river from Waingmaw, Junta troops and police personnel have intensified checks on suspected individuals and the general public, implementing a curfew after 10:00 pm.
