A conflict broke out on a university campus in northern Myanmar’s Sagaing region earlier this week when ethnic Kachin and Chin fighters attacked junta troops stationed there. This led the rebels to detain and eventually evacuate over 130 civilians who were caught in the crossfire, as reported by residents and fighters to Radio Free Asia.
Fighters from the Kachin Independence Army, the Chin National Front, and local People’s Defense Force fighters launched an attack on a junta camp on the Kale University campus on Monday.
After facing reinforcements from junta troops, the fighters had to retreat from the campus, according to an official from the local militia group Kalay-Kabaw-Gangaw. The students and staff were then moved to safety during the battle, as mentioned to RFA Burmese.
One member of the PDF, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, stated that some students and staff were interrogated but were treated with dignity and respect.
The following day, heavy artillery fire from junta forces resulted in the deaths of four civilians in the area, as reported by local residents to Radio Free Asia.
On Wednesday, junta-affiliated newspapers claimed that junta troops rescued 285 teachers and students from being captured by PDF forces, without acknowledging the 130 people who were detained and evacuated by anti-junta forces.
Junta troops on campus
A PDF member from Kale township, who preferred not to be named for security reasons, explained that the rebel forces attacked a junta checkpoint at the university’s entrance due to the soldiers’ extortion of money from vehicles.
The presence of junta soldiers on the school campus since the coup in February 2021 was cited as the main reason for the attack, according to the PDF member.
Additionally, on Monday, the Chin National Front and local PDFs targeted the Ko Mai police station in Khaikam city in Chin state, which is near the Kale University campus, as per a PDF official.
Locals indicated that the continuous heavy artillery fire on Tuesday was in retaliation for the police station attack.
Residents highlighted the intense clashes between junta forces and local PDFs in Kale and surrounding villages over the past week.
The Kale District PDF advised residents to evacuate promptly in anticipation of increased fighting with junta forces in the coming days.
Some individuals have been seeking refuge in their homes, bunkers, and fortifying their surroundings with sandbags, as shared by residents.
A local resident, who chose to remain anonymous, reported that junta troops have been targeting pedestrians and firing into homes with various weapons.
Translated by Kalyar Lwin. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.
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