Sources in northern Shan State told DVB that the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) has ordered the People’s Defence Force (PDF) to withdraw from Nawnghkio Township, which came under TNLA control on July 10 and is located 96 miles (154 km) south of the region’s capital Lashio.
“Given the situation, it seems the TNLA decided to return Nawnghkio to the regime,” a source close to the PDF told DVB on the condition of anonymity, adding that the PDF is stationed in nearby Kyaukme town, 32 miles (51 km) northeast of Nawnghkio.
The source added that the regime recaptured five villages in Nawnghkio since it launched a counteroffensive to retake the township in late April. One of the two regime columns that set out to retake Nawnghkio reportedly reached Kangyi village, which is located eight miles (12 km) south of the town, on June 6.
Zin Yaw, a Myanmar Army defector and member of the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), told DVB that the other regime column took an alternative route from Lawnglin village, located 19 miles (30 km) southeast of Nawnghkio.
He added that the two columns may converge to enter Nawnghkio at the Goke Hteik train station, eight miles (12 km) east of the town.
The second round of China-brokered peace talks between the TNLA and the regime held April 28-29 failed. DVB requests to a TNLA spokesperson for comment on the situation in Nawnghkio went unanswered.
Zin Yaw has stated that the TNLA became the regime’s primary target in northern Shan after the ceasefire was reached between Naypyidaw and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) in January.
The MNDAA handed back Lashio, which it seized on Aug. 3 after the fall of the Regional Military Command (RMC) headquarters to its forces, on April 22 as part of the ceasefire.
A source told DVB on the condition of anonymity that the MNDAA also agreed to hand over Hsenwi (Theinni) in September. Hsenwi is located 31 miles (50 km) north of Lashio and came under MNDAA control in November 2023.
During the MNDAA peace talks, the regime reportedly demanded that it relinquish all towns captured during Operation 1027, which was launched on Oct. 27, 2023, except for Laukkai and Konkyan townships, which are located in the constitutionally designated Kokang Self-Administered Zone (SAZ).
The source did not confirm whether the MNDAA accepted the demand but stated that Hsenwi would be handed back to regime control. The MNDAA, the TNLA, and the Arakan Army (AA)-collectively known as Brotherhood Alliance-have seized 23 towns in northern Shan from the regime since late 2023.
Both the regime and the Brotherhood Alliance have announced extensions to their temporary ceasefires until June 30. The regime has carried out 764 attacks since it began its ceasefire on April 2, according to DVB data.
