Gunfight reported between People’s Defence Force-Tamu and Myanmar Junta troops who reportedly set ablaze houses in Janglenphai, Khomunom and Na Maung Ta villages
TFM Report
The reports of Junta troops burning down houses in villages located along the Asian Highway and gunfight between People’s Defence Force-Tamu and Myanmar army has created an atmosphere of fear in India Myanmar border town Tamu.
According to reports, Myanmar military set ablaze the houses in Janglenphai, Khomunom and Na Maung Ta villages in Tamu district on Monday morning.
Reports said the Myanmar military were moving towards Tamu from Kalay after holding up at Witok village on September 16. They burnt down houses in Janglenphai, Khomunom and Na Maung Ta village located along Asian highway on Monday morning while on their way to Tamu, they added.
Janglenphai village is situated about 20 km away from Tamu town and Khomunom and Na Maung Ta villages are located between Janglenphai and Tamu. Sources said that the Junta forces burnt down five houses in Janglenphai, three houses in Nan Maung Ta and two houses in Khomunnom village.
Meanwhile, a source in Myanmar said that PDF-Tamu (People’s Defence Force) attacked the approaching military with IED in between Khomunnom and Janglenphai. PDF ambushed the military convoy near Tamu town and intense gunbattle continued till noon, it added.
However, the number of casualties and whether the gunfight still continued till the filing of reports could not be ascertained as the source went out of reach after its input at noon.
Tamu is a town in Sagaing Region in north-west Burma near the border with Manipur. The Myanmar army has reportedly laid siege to several communities in southern Sagaing Region since early August, with resistance groups using explosives to ambush the junta columns responsible for the attacks.
It was reported that around 20 villages in the townships of Yinmabin, Pale and Kani—which are also strongholds of armed resistance forces west of the Chindwin River—have been targeted since early August as the military traverses the area.
The same army columns reportedly launched a three-day raid on the village of Yin Paung Taing in Yinmabin on August 11, killing at least 18 people.
“The soldiers set houses on fire in every village they pass through. They do so whether or not we engage them in a clash. So we fought,” the Myanmar Now had reported quoting a squadron commander from the Sayar San PDF.