Residents in Kachin State told DVB that the Myanmar Navy fleet travelling upstream on the Irrawaddy River was attacked by resistance forces in Shwegu Township on Sunday. Shwegu is located 181 miles (291 km) south of the Kachin State capital Myitkyina and 119 miles (191 km) southwest of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) headquarters of Laiza.
A People’s Defence Force (PDF) member told DVB that the 17-vessel naval fleet is stuck in Shwegu and unable to continue its journey toward Bhamo Township, located 64 miles (102 km) east along the Irrawaddy River.
The PDF added that one civilian was killed by an airstrike carried out by the Myanmar Air Force, which was escorting the navy fleet through Katha Township of Sagaing Region on July 26. Katha is located 223 miles (358 km) north of the region’s capital Monywa.
The Myanmar Navy fleet departed Mandalay on July 17, making its way north through Sagaing Region. It reached Kachin State on July 26 and is reportedly on its way to Bhamo, where the KIA and regime forces have been fighting over control of the town since Dec. 4.
