Battle of Lashio

Last updated
Battle of Lashio
Part of Operation 1027 in the Myanmar civil war
Operation 1027.svg
Map of Operation 1027 overall as of February 2024 (Not including gains made by anti-SAC forces before 27 October)
  Gains made by anti-SAC forces
Date2 July 2024 – present
Location 22°57′59″N97°45′09″E / 22.9665°N 97.7525°E / 22.9665; 97.7525
Result Ongoing
Belligerents
Flag of Myanmar.svg State Administration Council Three Brotherhood Alliance
Flag of PDF Myanmar.svg People's Defense Force
Commanders and leaders
Units involved

Flag of the Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) of Myanmar.svg  Tatmadaw

Three Brotherhood Alliance:

Flag of PDF Myanmar.svg People's Defence Force
Strength
Unknown Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown
At least 12 civilians dead

The Battle of Lashio is an ongoing offensive conducted by the Three Brotherhood Alliance, along with other resistance forces, to capture the northern Shan city of Lashio. The headquarters for the Tatmadaw's Northeastern Command, the city was besieged by rebel forces following the collapse of the Chinese-mediated ceasefire that had paused the rebels' Operation 1027. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

During the first phase of Operation 1027, resistance forces seized several towns surrounding Laisho, including Hsenwi, Namtu, and Kutkai. They also took control of the road between Laisho and Mandalay, cutting the city off from reinforcement except by air. Following the city's encirclement, junta forces destroyed several bridges leading into the city to try and prevent rebel forces from advancing further. While the city appeared to be a key target for the resistance following the fall of Laukkai, the conflict in Northern Shan was halted by a ceasefire mediated by China. [2] [7]

The ceasefire agreement collapsed in late June 2024, after the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), a Brotherhood Alliance member, launched attacks in response to alleged junta violations of the ceasefire. [8] The rebel forces took control of the towns of Kyaukme and Nawnghkio on the road from Lashio to Mandalay, further consolidating the rebels' encirclement. [9] [10] On 2 July, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), another member of the alliance, joined the offensive, attacking junta positions around Lashio with the TNLA. [11] The military responded to the attacks with airstrikes and indiscriminate shelling. As fighting moved closer to the city proper, families of soldiers were evacuated, and thousands of civilians fled the conflict zone. [12]

On July 6, resistance forces began to advance into the city, shelling and using drones to bomb the junta's headquarters inside of the city. At least a dozen civilians have been killed during the battle. [13] On 14 July, the MNDAA announced a four-day halt in its operations to avoid interfering with the ongoing Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lashio</span> Town in Shan State, Myanmar

Lashio is the largest town in northern Shan State, Myanmar, about 200 kilometres (120 mi) north-east of Mandalay. It is situated on a low mountain spur overlooking the valley of the Yaw River. Loi Leng, the highest mountain of the Shan Hills, is located 45 km (28 mi) to the south-east of Lashio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nawnghkio</span> Town in Shan State, Myanmar

Nawnghkio, variously spelt Naunghkio, Naungcho or Nawngcho, is a town in Kyaukme District, in northern Shan State, Burma. It is the principal town and administrative seat of Nawnghkio Township. It is connected to Mandalay, Pyin U Lwin, Kyaukme, Hsipaw and Lashio by road and rail and by road to Taunggyi via National Road 43. Asia World Company won the contract to rebuild part of the road in 2002. Originally on the Mandalay-Lashio Road, after Pyin U Lwin and before Kyaukme, Nawnghkio is on what is now the Mandalay-Muse Road, part of the Asian Highway Route 14 (AH14).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyaukme, Shan State</span> Town in Shan State, Myanmar

Kyaukme is a town in northern Shan State of Burma. It is situated on the Mandalay - Lashio road, after Pyin Oo Lwin and Nawnghkio, and before Hsipaw, on what is now the Mandalay - Muse road, part of the Asian Highway route 14 (AH14). It is also connected to Momeik (Mongmit) in the Shweli River valley and Mogok with its ruby mines. Kyaukme can be reached by train on the Mandalay-Lashio railway line. As of 2014, the population was 39,930.

Momeik, also known as Mong Mit in Shan, is a town situated on the Shweli River in northern Shan State. It is the principal town of Mongmit Township, Myanmar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namhkam, Shan State</span> Town in Shan State, Myanmar

Namhkam, also spelled Nam Kham is the principal town of Namhkam Township in northern Shan State, Myanmar, situated on the southern bank of the Shweli River near the border with Yunnan Province, China.

Laukkai is the capital of Kokang Self-Administered Zone in the northern part of Shan State, Myanmar. It is located east of the Salween River, which forms part of Myanmar's border with the People's Republic of China at its upper reaches. It is about 10 miles (16 km) away from Nansan, China. In Laukkai, Southwestern Mandarin and Chinese characters are widely used, and the Chinese renminbi is in circulation. It is the main town of Laukkaing Township of the Kokang Self-Administered Zone. It is 117 miles (188 km) from Lashio and 42 miles (68 km) from Kongyan. Its population is 23,435. Laukkai is notorious for its gambling, prostitution, human trafficking and online scams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arakan Army</span> Insurgent group active in Rakhine State, Myanmar

The Arakan Army, officially the Arakha Army is an ethnic armed organisation based in Rakhine State (Arakan). Founded on 10 April 2009, the AA is the military wing of the United League of Arakan (ULA). It is currently led by Commander-in-Chief Major General Twan Mrat Naing and vice deputy commander-in-chief Brigadier General Nyo Twan Awng. The Arakan Army states that the objective of its armed revolution is to restore the sovereignty of the Arakan people. In a February 2024 interview, Twan Mrat Naing claimed that the AA had grown to at least 38,000 troops. Anthony Davis, an expert of military and security, rejected this claim and estimated that it has at least 15,000 troops in Chin State and Rakhine State, in addition to around 1500 in Kachin State and Shan State. In the early 2010s, the Arakan Army fought alongside the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) against the Tatmadaw in the Kachin conflict. Following the 2016 outbreak of conflict in Rakhine state, AA became more heavily involved in the Arakan region. In 2019, AA launched attacks on state security forces and the Myanmar Army responded, heightening clashes. The AA reached a ceasefire in late 2020 after eroding the central government's control in northern Rakhine. The power vacuum was filled by the AA over the next 18 months with state-building efforts, like their COVID-19 vaccine rollouts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army</span> Ethnic insurgent group in northern Myanmar

The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) is an armed resistance group in the Kokang region of Myanmar (Burma). The army has existed since 1989, having been the first one to sign a ceasefire agreement with the Burmese government. The ceasefire lasted for about two decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Kokang offensive</span> 2015 military operations in Myanmar

The 2015 Kokang offensive was a series of military operations launched by the Myanmar Army in 2015 in Kokang in northern Shan State, Myanmar (Burma). Several clashes between the Myanmar Army and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army had taken place from February to May 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ta'ang National Liberation Army</span> Insurgent group in Shan State, Myanmar

The Ta'ang National Liberation Army is a political organization and armed group in Myanmar. It is the armed wing of the Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF).

The Muse offensive, also known as the Mong Ko offensive, was a joint military operation by members of the Northern Alliance, consisting of the Arakan Army (AA), the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). The groups targeted towns and border posts along the China–Myanmar border in Muse Township, Myanmar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myanmar civil war (2021–present)</span> Ongoing armed conflict in Myanmar since the 2021 coup detat

The Myanmar civil war, also called the Burmese Spring Revolution, Burmese civil war or People's Defensive War, is an ongoing civil war following Myanmar's long-running insurgencies, which escalated significantly in response to the 2021 military coup d'état and the subsequent violent crackdown on anti-coup protests. The exiled National Unity Government and major ethnic armed organisations repudiated the 2008 Constitution and called instead for a democratic federal state. Besides engaging this alliance, the SAC also contends with other anti-SAC forces in areas under its control. Hannah Beech of The New York Times observed the insurgents are apportioned into hundreds of armed groups scattered across the country.

The following is a timeline of major events during the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), following the 2021 military coup d'état and protests. It was also a renewed intensity in existing internal conflict in Myanmar.

This is the list of important events happened in Myanmar in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation 1027</span> 2023–2024 anti-junta military operation in Myanmar

Operation 1027 is an ongoing military offensive conducted by the Three Brotherhood Alliance, a military coalition composed of three ethnic armed organisations in Myanmar: the Arakan Army (AA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), allied with other rebel forces in the country, against the Tatmadaw, Myanmar's ruling military junta.

The Three Brotherhood Alliance ;, also known as Brotherhood Alliance, is an alliance between the Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army formed in June 2019.

This is the list of important events happened in Myanmar in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Laukkai</span> 2023–2024 military offensive in Myanmar

The Battle of Laukkai was a military offensive conducted by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) encircling and capturing Laukkai, the capital of the Kokang Self-Administered Zone in northeastern Myanmar. The battle was part of the larger Operation 1027, a joint military operation conducted by the Three Brotherhood Alliance coalition of three ethnic armed organisations and part of the overall renewed civil war in Myanmar.

The Kachin Independence Army's (KIA) offensive in Kachin State, known unofficially as Operation 0307, is an ongoing military operation against the Tatmadaw military junta of Myanmar which began on 7 March 2024. Primarily centred along the road connecting Myitkyina to Bhamo, Operation 0307 was launched to capture junta bases which could threaten Laiza, the headquarters of the KIA. Operation 0307 was launched alongside concurrent KIA offensives against Hpakant and northern Shan State, and concurrent resistance offensives throughout Myanmar.

The attempted assassination of Bai Yingneng was the first attack by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) on Tatmadaw-aligned Kokang Border Guard Forces in Kokang, Myanmar. On February 5, 2021, MNDAA fighters ambushed a convoy transporting ousted governor Bai Yingmeng, the son of former Kokang leader Bai Suocheng, killing nine civilians and three of Bai's bodyguards.

References

  1. "Brotherhood Alliance Seizes Another Ethnic Zone in Myanmar's northern Shan State". The Irrawaddy . December 23, 2023. Archived from the original on 23 December 2023.
  2. 1 2 Junta attacks TNLA violating northern Shan peace agreement. June 12, 2024 Mizzima
  3. Rifle Fire Audible in Lashio as Rebels Encircle Myanmar Junta Stronghold. The Irrawaddy. July 4, 2024
  4. Civilians Flee as Noose Tightens on Myanmar Junta’s NE Command Headquarters. The Irrawaddy. July 5, 2024
  5. Clashes break out near Myanmar military regional command. July 3, 2024. The Straits Times
  6. Three Brotherhood Alliance Deploys Drones to Bombard Junta Regional Headquarters in Lashio. Burma News International. July 4, 2024
  7. "Surrounded Myanmar Junta Troops Shell Civilians, Blow Bridges in Lashio". The Irrawaddy. 4 January 2024.
  8. "Ceasefire between Brotherhood Alliance and Myanmar military ends in northern Shan State". Myanmar Now. 25 June 2024.
  9. "TNLA Seizes Town and Myanmar Regime Positions in Northern Shan State". The Irrawaddy. 26 June 2024.
  10. "Military shells, bombs Kyaukme as clashes continue in northern Shan State, Mandalay Region". Myanmar Now. 1 July 2024.
  11. "Brotherhood Alliance Targets Junta Command in Lashio". The Irrawaddy. 4 July 2024.
  12. "Civilians Flee as Noose Tightens on Myanmar Junta's NE Command Headquarters". The Irrawaddy. 5 July 2024.
  13. "Myanmar Junta Troops Surrender Key Shan Base, Ethnic Armies Advance Into Lashio". The Irrawaddy. 6 July 2024.
  14. "MNDAA Announces Four-Day Halt in Fighting in Myanmar's N. Shan". The Irrawaddy. 15 July 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)