Opposition Northern-Alliance forces took control of 3 border towns after a week of fighting while Russian navy fleet arrived for joint exercise
The Junta said it lost control of 3 border towns near China as the fighting between northern alliance opposition forces and Myanmar army enter to 7 days since 27 October 2023.
The spokesman for military Junta Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun said on 2 November 2023 press release that the Northern Alliance rebels took control of Chin Shwe Haw, Faung Sai and Kyu Koke border towns in north eastern Myanmar after one week of intense fighting. The Northern Alliance rebel forces claimed they partially controlled another interior town called Thenni which is closer to Mandalay on China-Burma road but sources on the ground said the rebel withdrew from town after a brief skirmishes. The local sources claimed the Kyu koke city is not under control by the rebels as they retreated after overrunning the Junta army bases but the rebels are setting up administration in other two towns they recently took control. The Chinese ministry of foreign affairs released the statement for the immediate cessation of hostilities near their border. The United Nations Agency UNOCHA said 6200 peoples are displaced by fighting in that region by 2nd November 2023.
In a separate incident, the other rebel alliance in Southern Myanmar’s Karen state overrun a town called Kya Inn Seik Kyee near Thai border. The alliance of the KNU renegade elements and PDF attacked local government offices including town’s Fire Brigade with small arms and retreated. The Junta claimed they have two causalities and captured the dead body of the Deputy Commander Saw Larr of the opposition PDF’s Lion Column after the rebel forces retreated from the town. Both sides of the conflict confirmed the death of the famous Peoples’ Defense Forces PDF Deputy Commander on Social Media accounts with photos. PDF is the loosely organized force of thousands local militia groups like the Lion Column formed by the NUG parallel Government of NLD party after 2021 coup.
The fighting in North Eastern Myanmar is not related to the PDF forces under NUG parallel government. The Northern Alliance which is the alliance of MNDAA, AA and TNLA (sometimes KIA) armed groups. The group is led by the ethnic Chinese former Drug-Warlord Army MNDAA Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army which is the largest Heroine producer in the world until 1990s. The AA-Arakan Army is formed by ethnic Rakhine that is referred to be a major drug trafficker on former UN General Secretary Kofi Anan’s 2017 report about the Rakhine conflict. The MNDAA begun as part of Mao era Chinese Communist party supported Burmese Communist forces in 1968. On 1991 the ethnic Myanmar-Chinese soldiers who are called Kokang nationals of the Burmese Communist Army led by Pheung Kya Shin, broke away from Communist Forces and made peace with Myanmar army to form a new rebel army MNDAA. They controlled the currently contested area by collaborating with the Myanmar army until 2015. The contested area which is “the Macao of Myanmar” teeming with Casinos, drug labs and hide out for Chinese criminal mafia gangs, is controlled by the various well-armed former Communist Narco- trafficking militias who have various alliance and relationship with Myanmar Junta Army since 1990s. The last large scale fighting between Northern Alliance and Myanmar Army occurred in the area was on 2015, soon after the Suu Kyi’s elected NLD Government took political power in Myanmar. On 27 October the Northern Alliance declared “the operation 1027” with the objectives of cracking down on Chinese Mafia operating in the area. The hostilities are preceded by the arrest of Myanmar army backed Casino tycoons by the Chinese Government on September and the subsequent transfer of 5000 Chinese mafia members by the Myanmar army backed militias who control the region.
Coincidently, a Naval group of Russian Pacific Fleet with 2 large anti-submarine warfare ships and 800 sailors made the business call at the Thilawa port near Yangon city on 2nd November 2023 for the first Joint Naval maneuvers with Myanmar Navy. According to the official press release from Junta media and Russia’s ITAR TASS news agency, the Russian warships will visit until 7 November. During the business call, the Russian navy will take part in the ceremony of opening the first joint naval exercise as well as mutual visit to combat ships of both countries and attending of sports and cultural events are also planned.
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