January 31, 2024. (Than Lwin Times)
Within the three-month duration of ‘Operation 1027,’ over 6,000 Military Council troops have surrendered, raising the white flag, according to the Three Brotherhood Alliance.
They recognized that an early surrender presented an opportunity for survival and they also prioritized the well-being of their comrades and family members .
Commenting on these mass surrenders, former Captain Lin Htet Aung, who actively took part in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), remarked that this figure corresponds to approximately 30 full battalions designated by the Military Council.
The Junta has faced a major challenge in promptly replenishing the manpower lost in ongoing nationwide battles, and resulting in each battalion being reduced to a limited strength of only 140 -150 troops.
The Three Brotherhood Alliance declared that in ‘Operation 1027,’ they successfully seized the strategic advantage, launching a first-hand attack on the enemy and instilling shock and fear among the Military Council forces.
The Alliance additionally stated that they managed to infiltrate the core of the enemy troops, conveying a message that: engaging in a fight would undoubtedly result in the loss of their bases and their lives.
Captain Lin Htet Aung highlighted that the Military Council is undergoing a rapid decline, not just in terms of structure and strength, but also in morale, signaling the initial stages of complete deterioration.
He told Than Lwin Times, “The Military Council is losing strength. Many soldiers within its ranks no longer wish to engage in combat. The number of confiscated and lost weapons and ammunition on its side has risen during the clashes.
Not only has its strength diminished, but morale and performance are also on the decline. We think these conditions have moved beyond decline, and are starting to pave the way for the complete collapse of the Military Council”, he told Than Lwin Times.
Even before the setbacks resulting from ‘Operation 1027’, the Military Council had deployed a significant number of forces to suppress the nationwide resistance struggles against the military dictatorship, leading to a state of exhaustion.
In the period since the launching of ‘Operation 1027’ by the Three Brotherhood Alliance in northern Shan State, the fortified bases of the Military Council experienced defeat within hours and days, compelling them to surrender control, starting from towns to regional command headquarters.
The Three Brotherhood Alliance asserts that the heightened panic among Military Council troops signifies that the longstanding fascist military regime is on the verge of collapse.
The Junta grappling with recurring battlefield failures, manpower depletion, and a rising count of desertions and surrenders, is now confronted with a couple of unexpected blows.
The 10,000-strong Karen Border Guard Force (BGF), which is based in southern Myanmar and has been a subordinate unit of the Military Council, has announced that it will no longer obey the Junta’s command function as an autonomous zone.
Simultaneously, the Pa-O National Liberation Army (PNLO), a signatory of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) that engaged in discussions with the Military Council during the coup period, has declared its decision to suspend talks, stated it now intends to unite with fellow ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) in the collective effort to bring an end to the military dictatorship.
News -Than Lwin Times
Photo – Arakan Army
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