The junta has been demolishing civilian homes and yards to build defensive positions in Bhamo Town in Kachin State’s Bhamo Township, since the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) took control of neighbouring Mansi Township.

The KIA launched simultaneous operations to take control of Bhamo and Mansi towns on 4 December 2024.

On 8 January 2025, a KIA led coalition took control of Mansi Town, the last part of Mansi Township that was not yet under its control.

Currently, there is ongoing fighting in Bhamo Township between the KIA and the junta's Military Operations Command 21 (MOC 21) and Infantry Battalion 47 (IB 47) in Bhamo Township.

Following the loss of Mansi Township, the junta has been fortifying its positions in Bhamo Town in anticipation of potential KIA attacks. As tens of thousands of Bhamo Town residents flee the fighting the junta has been deploying tanks, backhoes, and bulldozers to demolish abandoned homes and yards near to its strongholds in Bhamo Town.

Talking of the situation on 15 January, a Bhamo resident with close ties to the KIA said: “The soldiers used bulldozers to demolish houses and yards, then took up positions in the cleared areas. They also took valuables and belongings from some of the deserted homes. Regarding the military situation, clashes have been occurring intermittently over the past few days.”

There have been a few intense clashes on the ground in Bhamo Town and the junta is carrying out airstrikes on KIA positions in the town three times a day.

In the last few days the bombs being dropped by the junta onto KIA positions have been larger, according to a KIA frontline source who spoke to KNG.

He said: “During the fighting for Bhamo, the bombs being dropped by the junta air force have been significantly larger than before, with the explosions being much louder. If the junta continues its current bombing strategy, the damage to Bhamo Town could be catastrophic.”

According to some residents still in the town, almost all of Bhamo's downtown wards have been destroyed by fire. Hundreds of homes have reportedly been burned down and an estimated 150 civilians have been killed since the KIA launched its assault on Bhamo Town on 4 December.

However, due to communication difficulties and the ongoing fighting it has been hard to verify information coming out of Bhamo Town.

In 2024, a coalition of the KIA and people’s defence forces (PDFs) launched operations to capture the towns of Bhamo, Momauk, Mansi, and Lweje which all lie to the east of the Ayeyarwaddy River in Kachin State. The only one of those towns they have not yet captured is Bhamo.