An ethnic Kachin group in northern Myanmar has taken control of more than 20 military outposts and bases following a coordinated attack on military targets last week, as claimed by the group’s spokesperson yesterday.
On March 7, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and its allies carried out simultaneous attacks on military outposts and bases along the Myitkyina-Bhamo road, which runs parallel to the Chinese border.
“Since March 7, we have captured over 20 targets from the military junta,” said KIA information officer Col. Naw Bu to The Irrawaddy on Monday. “Around 10 of these bases are strategically important to us. The remaining are outposts that support the main bases.” Among them are Kasen Kawng and Hkaya Bum, two major military bases near the KIA’s headquarters in Laiza, reportedly taken over during the weekend after intense clashes with junta forces.
The Myanmar military responded by launching artillery attacks on the KIA headquarters in Laiza, located between Myitkyina and Bhamo. Reports indicate that shells killed three civilians in Laiza and landed across the Chinese border.
The KIA offensive comes after ethnic armed groups carried out Operation 1027 five months ago, making significant territorial gains in northern Shan State. Additionally, the Arakan Army has seized a considerable amount of territory in Rakhine State, putting the state capital Sittwe at risk. While Operation 1027 concluded with a Chinese-brokered agreement, the escalation of the Kachin conflict poses a threat to the military junta in Naypyidaw, which is already stretched thin across the country.
The KIA, along with its political wing, the Kachin Independence Organization, has been fighting for autonomy since 1962 and is one of the most well-established ethnic armed groups in Myanmar. The group has been actively opposing the military coup since February 2021, collaborating with People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) and offering refuge to members of the National Unity Government.
Although the KIA has not previously engaged in large-scale military operations like Operation 1027, the objectives of the current offensive remain unclear. It could be aimed at defending Laiza and the KIA’s territory along the Chinese border. Nonetheless, a major offensive by the KIA could significantly impact the resistance movement’s trajectory.