March 21, 2020

Tatmadaw forces thwarted the AA group surrounding the Meewa Camp for over 40 days, according to the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services.

Since 5 February, the members of the AA group, using excessive force, had attacked the Tatmadaw’s camp located at the strategic point at the junction of the Paletwa-Kyauktaw Route and Mesar-Matupi Route.

Following the attacks, the Tatmadaw sent its reinforced troops to the area and retaliated the AA, and put the Tinma Village and surrounding areas under its control on 11 March, Pyaingtaing Village and surrounding areas on 13 March, Montthantpyin Village and surrounding areas on 14 March respectively. In the attacks, some officers and other ranks sacrificed their lives and some members of AA were also found dead, said the statement released by the Office of the C-in-C of Defence Services.

The reinforced columns of the Tatmadaw could rescue 13 troops who had lost contact with their unit. Some officers and other ranks are still missing and efforts are being made to rescue them.

AA group attacked Hnonbu Camp that controls Paletwa and Kyauktaw area and water routes in December 2019, and other border outposts in the north-west of Paletwa in February, 2020, and military columns on regional security duty near Yetkhontaing and around Yaysoechaung Village in Buthidaung-Yathedaung region on 2 and 10 February. However, the Tatmadaw columns’ counter-attacks led to their retreat, according to the statement.—MNA (Translated by Kyaw Zin Lin)