Daily artillery shelling and clashes have continued in Ye Phyu Township, Tanintharyi Region, following attacks by coordinated revolutionary forces on departmental offices under the military commission, according to sources.
Revolutionary force sources said the military’s Infantry Battalion No. 304, based in Ye Phyu Township, has fired artillery toward Nat Twin Village for two consecutive days.
Around 500 military personnel have also launched patrols into villages in the western part of Ye Phyu Township, leading to clashes on the afternoon of December 17, ABC, Information and Communications Officer of the Dawei District No. 1 People’s Defense Force, told IMNA.
“Their forces, around 50 soldiers, have been advancing along patrol routes since December 13. Local residents are trying to avoid conflict areas,” he said.
Villages in western Ye Phyu Township, where military patrols are active, have become sites of repeated clashes as revolutionary forces move in and out of the area.
On December 12, in opposition to the military commission’s planned election, coordinated revolutionary forces attacked departmental offices as well as Light Infantry Battalions No. 406 and 407 and Infantry Battalion No. 304 using drones and artillery. They also targeted bridges, checkpoint gates, and a temporary military commission camp near Ye Phyu Yat Taw Mu Pagoda.
Revolutionary forces briefly gained control of parts of Ye Phyu Township but later withdrew after military forces continued artillery shelling of civilian areas, a spokesperson from the 1st Battalion of the People’s Defense Force in Tanintharyi Region said.
During the raids, staff members working under the military commission were reportedly detained by revolutionary forces. The extent and coordination of the detentions remain under investigation.
“We are still verifying which staff members were taken. For now, the offices remain under the control of the military and their staff,” the spokesperson said.
The allied forces involved include the People’s Defense Force (PDF) Dawei District Battalion No. 1; the Dawei People’s Liberation Force (TPLF); Strategy (33), Dawna Column (3) of the KBDF; Strategy (33), Dawna Unit-6 (Air Unit); Strategy (33), Dawna Unit-7 (LPF); the Dawei District People’s Defense Front (DDPDF); A Din Hmu; the DNU; and the Red Dragon Guerrilla Force.
In Ye Phyu Township, buildings, including the township police station, general administration office, forestry office, communal buildings, banks, and staff housing, were damaged by both heavy and light weapons.
Military clearing operations and security measures are continuing in Ye Phyu town and surrounding areas, with patrols maintaining tight control.
