Military Assault with Artillery, Drones and Air Support Targets KNLA Allied Base in Hlaing Village
29 January, 2026
Myanmar’s military has failed to seize KNLA allied positions in Phalu Village and Min La Pan Village, south of Myawaddy in Karen State, despite using heavy artillery and suicide drones in support of advancing ground troops within more than three months of ground offensives.
The assault escalated on the morning of January 28 after a junta fighter jet dropped a 500-pound bomb on the Shwedagon replica pagoda hilltop in Phalu Lay Village at around 9 a.m., KNLA allied frontline sources told PRM.
“This morning, five 500-pound bombs were dropped. We heard four explosions. They also fired rockets, mainly targeting the pagoda hilltop. Then they tried to advance on the ground and fighting broke out. By this evening, the situation has calmed down again,” he said.
The airstrikes also caused houses in Mae Kok Kaing Village on the Thai side to shake and suffer damage, according to Thai media reports. Local Thai residents are reportedly worried that aircraft bombs could cross the border and explode in their communities.
Meanwhile, the military has reinforced its troops in Phalu Lay Village and is preparing ground forces for possible operations toward the pagoda hilltop area, sources said.
“The military looks like it will keep attacking. Even if they move forward, it’s not easy on the ground. KNLA troops are already used to artillery, drones, and air attacks. When they come in on the ground, it’s our area, so we shoot back. They get hit and then pull back,” he said.
People’s Radio Myanmar (PRM) is continuing to investigate reports of casualties, territorial clashes, and the broader military situation following today’s fighting between the two sides, as well as the conditions facing local civilians who have been displaced by the conflict.
Since October 2025, Myanmar’s military has been conducting near-continuous operations in the area for almost four months, deploying units from Light Infantry Division 22, Light Infantry Division 44, and battalions under the Coastal Region Military Command. Despite the sustained offensives, the military has so far failed to seize gambling and scam hub sites in Min La Pan Village and Phalu Village, according to local sources.
Meanwhile, residents in Kyone Doe said they witnessed military reinforcements moving toward Myawaddy earlier today, including troop convoys, ammunition trucks, and armored vehicles traveling along the Kyonedoe–Kawkareik road from the Hpa-An direction.
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