A convoy consisting of 38 Myanmar Navy vessels reached Mandalay Region’s Singu Township on Sunday after departing the Gaw Wein jetty in Mandalay to travel upstream along the Irrawaddy River. Singu, located 58 miles (93 km) north of Mandalay, was recaptured by regime forces on Dec. 18.
A resident of Sagaing Region’s Tigyaing Township told DVB on the condition of anonymity that the naval convoy is travelling to the Tagaung nickel processing plant to help restart operations with its financial backers, the Chinese state-owned China Nonferrous Metal Mining and Construction.
Operations at the Taguang nickel processing plant had been suspended since the People’s Defence Force (PDF) seized control of Tigyaing town in July 2024. Tigyaing, located 182 miles (292 km) northeast of the Sagaing Region capital Monywa, was recaptured by regime forces on March 26.
This is the second naval convoy that has travelled upstream along the Irrawaddy from the Gaw Wein jetty since late August. Six of the 14-vessel convoy, which left Mandalay on Aug. 21, reached Kachin State’s Bhamo Township on Sept. 3, according to the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).
A KIA source told DVB on the condition of anonymity that Myanmar Air Force jets have been carrying out retaliatory airstrikes against KIA positions in Bhamo to protect Navy vessels on Sept. 3.
KIA members damaged or destroyed seven vessels near Shwegu Township, located 64 miles (103 km) west of Bhamo, on Sept. 2. One vessel ran aground at Yeni village before reaching Bhamo on Sept. 3.
The exact number of regime casualties wasn’t disclosed. The KIA told DVB that around 100 military personnel had surrendered after the naval vessels were destroyed in attacks.
The vessels were carrying around 800 military personnel, along with weapons, ammunition and food supplies, to regime positions in Bhamo, according to a military defector who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) following the 2021 coup.
The battle over control of Bhamo between the KIA and regime forces has been ongoing since December 2024. Bhamo is located 118 miles (190 km) south of the Kachin State capital Myitkyina and 56 miles (90 km) southwest of the KIA headquarters of Laiza.
