Military regime forces have reclaimed control over key strongholds along the 81-mile (130 km) Kalay–Tamu highway in Sagaing Region following a two-month full-scale counteroffensive, forcing the People’s Defence Force (PDF) to prepare a strategic withdrawal from the corridor.
The highway serves as the primary overland trade artery connecting Myanmar to the border town of Moreh in India’s Manipur State and forms a critical segment of the 870-mile (1,400 km) India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway (IMTT).
Resistance forces retreat as regime consolidates control
According to sources close to the PDF operating under the National Unity Government (NUG), regime forces launched phased area-clearance operations in early June from both Kalay and Tamu, systematically clearing resistance positions along the route.
“They have retaken every area previously controlled by the PDF. At present, the revolutionary forces are preparing to withdraw,” a resistance source told DVB on condition of anonymity.
Regime media reported that military columns advancing from opposite ends of the highway reunited after securing key villages and transport junctions. No casualties were reported by the PDF during the recent withdrawals.
Humanitarian emergency and displacement across the border
The two-month campaign has triggered severe displacement across northern Sagaing Region:
- Mass Displacement: Tens of thousands of residents living in communities along the Kalay–Tamu axis have fled their homes.
- Refugee Crossings: Many civilians have crossed the international border into India’s Manipur State, while thousands of others are sheltering in makeshift camps in the forests and mountains of Kalay Township.
- Critical Supply Shortages: Internally displaced persons (IDPs) face acute shortages of basic food supplies, tarpaulins for monsoon shelter, and antimalarial medication.
Timeline of regime recaptures across northern Sagaing
The clearance of the Kalay–Tamu highway is part of a broader, multi-month military push to re-establish a continuous belt of state control across northwestern Myanmar and reopen cross-border trade corridors.
Regime Counteroffensive Timeline (Sagaing Region)
├── March 26: Recaptured Tigyaing town
├── April 30: Recaptured Indaw town
├── May 5: Recaptured Mawlu town (transport hub on Kachin border)
├── June 20: Recaptured Khampat town (170 miles NW of Monywa)
├── July 21: Recaptured Kammagyi village (Tamu Township)
└── July 26: Recaptured Htinzin village (Tamu Township)
Despite these regime gains along primary road corridors, PDF and allied resistance forces continue to maintain control over several other urban centers in Sagaing Region seized since 2022, including Shwe Pyi Aye, Myothit, and Pinlebu.
Geopolitical implications and border security
The military offensive to secure the IMTT corridor intensified following bilateral discussions between regime leader Min Aung Hlaing and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 1.
Control over the Kalay–Tamu road holds strategic weight beyond commercial trade:
- Economic Gateway: Reopening the highway allows India and Myanmar to resume formal land-border commerce, facilitating the flow of essential consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural exports.
- Military Logistics: For Naypyidaw, securing Kalay provides a stable staging ground and logistics line to support military operations extending west into Chin State and south toward northern Arakan State.
