The National Unity Government (NUG) stated that its People’s Defence Force (PDF) attacked regime outposts in six townships of Magway Region on Sunday, as voting got underway on day one of the regime’s 2025-26 elections Dec. 28. Salin and Pwintbyu townships were the only two of the six townships cited by the NUG.
Its statement added that the PDF has laid “siege” to Salin and Sinphyukyun towns after it launched an offensive against regime outposts there on Dec. 23. Salin is located 46 miles (74 km) northwest of the region’s capital Magway.
The NUG added that the PDF killed several troops in a 170-man regime column on its way from Salin to Sinphyukyun on Dec. 25. It added that the PDF also detonated mines to destroy over 100 electricity poles, which supply power to the regime’s Directorate of Defence Industries (DDI) 21 and 22 on Dec. 25.
The DDI 21 and 22 produce aircraft ammunition in Seikphyu Township. DDI 24 in Pauk Township manufactures artillery rounds. Seikphyu and Pauk are located 73-137 miles (117-220 km) north of Magway.
A PDF source told DVB on the condition of anonymity that its forces would attack regime outposts in six townships of Magway Region during the regime elections. The PDF source didn’t specify which towns it would attack.
A Magway resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity that an unknown resistance group “prosecuted” a regime administration official for ordering residents to vote in the regime elections on an unspecified date. The two remaining dates for voting in the regime elections are Jan. 11 and Jan. 25, 2026.
A resistance force calling itself the Bamar Army warned Magway residents on Dec. 27 not to vote or go near polling stations in Sinphyukyu town.
A Sinphyukyun resident who fled his home due to fighting between the PDF and regime forces, told DVB that at least three people were injured by retaliatory airstrikes carried out by the Myanmar Air Force Dec. 22-23.
He added that 2,000 other residents have fled their homes since Dec. 22, following a PDF attack on the regime checkpoint and police station in Sinphyukyun.
A PDF spokesperson told DVB on the condition of anonymity that his forces launched an offensive in Magway Region because it hosts 15 of the regime’s 25 DDIs, known in Burmese as KaPaSa.
Regime forces defended their positions in the western parts of Sinphyukyun by reportedly dropping at least 100 bombs from Dec. 22-23., the PDF spokesperson added.
Sources on the frontline in Ngape Township of Magway Region told DVB that the Arakan Army (AA) and its allied resistance forces recaptured all of Gokkyi village on Dec. 21, after losing some areas to regime forces for one day.
A source close to the AA told DVB on the condition of anonymity that they recovered several bodies of regime troops but didn’t disclose the exact number. Ngape is located 48-68 miles (77-109 km) west and south of Magway and Salin. It hosts DDI 14, which reportedly manufactures air-defence missiles.
Gokkyi is one of the defence positions for the regime’s Natyaykan Air Defence Base, located on the road connecting Ann Township in Arakan State to Magway’s Padan Township. It is located 15 miles (24 km) east of the Natyaykan base.
Residents of Ngape Township told DVB that AA-led forces had captured all regime outposts in Gokkyi and Suntat villages, which have served as guard posts for the Natyaykan base since the AA offensive expanded to Magway in January.
The AA also extended its offensive into neighboring Bago and Ayeyarwady regions in December 2024. It has seized 14 out of Arakan’s 17 townships, as well as Paletwa Township in neighbouring Chinland, since it launched an offensive on Nov. 13, 2023.
The regime’s Union Election Commission (UEC) held polls in 20 out of Magway’s 25 townships, including Magway, Chauk, Yenangyaung, Pakokku, Taungdwingyi, Pwintbyu, Minbu, Thayet, and Aunglan, on Dec. 28.
