GZA Chief of Staff Assassinated Along With 5 Troops; 2 YDF Members Also Killed, 6 GZA Troops Detained While Attempting Negotiation
18 July, 2025According to a statement released by the Generation Z Army (GZA), on July 15 at around 2:50 p.m., the GZA Chief of Staff, five of his troops, and two YDF members were assassinated while returning to their hometown from Hteelin Township, Magway Region, after completing work-related duties.
The GZA Chief of Staff, a personal security officer from the Central Military Headquarters, a battalion commander from Battalion 2, two medics, the security chief of YDF, and one security troop — a total of seven — were assassinated between Kanswonhtaung Village and Yinma Village in Gangaw District.
An area surrounded near the assassination place has under 10 battalions and 7 camps. Among the assailants, 23 forces wearing the Gangaw District Command's uniform were involved in carrying out the shooting, it is written.
During the shooting, GZA Chief of Staff Ko Aung Kyaw Myo and one medic escaped, while two other medics fell off the motorcycles and were captured. Afterwards, the GZA personal security officer from the Central Military Headquarters and the battalion commander from Battalion 2 fought back against the attackers but were seriously injured and subsequently captured by them.
Afterwards, the assassins stopped shooting and called for negotiations. When six GZA members with full arms went to negotiate, all six were subsequently arrested, according to a GZA member.
"They didn’t release the arrested people. Instead, they arrested the six we sent for negotiation—took both them and their weapons," he said.
After that, the two injured—Ko Par Gyi and Ko Belu—who had sustained serious gunshot wounds, were receiving treatment from the medic stationed at Battalion 10, Unit 7, in Gangaw District. Due to the severity of their injuries, the medic later transferred them to the rural health officer at the clinic in Kanswonhtaung Village.
While the rural health officer in Kanswonhtaung Village was attempting to transfer Ko Par Gyi and Ko Belu to the township hospital, GZA forces intercepted them on the way and managed to rescue the two members, as reported.
“When we were transferring the vehicle to another clinic, we stopped it halfway — Ko Par Gyi and Ko Belu,” the above-mentioned soldier continued.
During the shooting, GZA’s Central Military Headquarters personal security officer, Ko Par Gyi, was hit in the head, chest, arm, and thigh, putting him in critical condition. Meanwhile, Battalion 2 Commander Ko Belu was shot in the thigh. Although his injuries are not life-threatening, he is expected to suffer long-term pain and recovery, according to the report.
According to the statement, while Ko Par Gyi and Ko Belu were in custody, the assailants beat them with rifle butts and struck their heads, in addition to subjecting them to torture and mistreatment. It also stated that the attackers had initially planned to execute both men at the scene of the incident, but the execution was prevented by Yaw Defense Force (YDF) defector Commander Ko San Ko Oo, who intervened and stopped it.
According to reports, among the attackers were members of Gangaw District Command’s Battalion 10, Unit 7, as well as rebel commanders from the Yaw Defense Force (YDF) — including Ko Kaung Kaung, Ko Yaw Lin, and Ko San Ko Oo. Notably, Ko Kaung Kaung and his group were among those who escaped from the YDF prison on May 8.
Among the assassins, Battalion 10, Unit 7 of Gangaw District Command was involved in the attack. However, the battalion commander of Battalion 10 denied any involvement in the shooting and said that they only learned about the incident from local residents. He also said that the accusations against them are baseless.
“This is just an accusation. Nobody from my side was there. My troops were training in our battalion area. I was only called by villagers and soldiers saying there was shooting, so I went to check it out. I told them not to use weapons to solve the problem. I didn’t get involved in their affairs,” he said.
During the assassination, Ko Par Gyi and Ko Belu personally witnessed other armed groups supplying grenades, according to the statement. The Generation Z Army (GZA) and Yaw Defense Force (YDF) have also announced that those involved in the attack and the masterminds behind it will be fully prosecuted under the law.
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