After a prolonged battle, Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) successfully gained full control over Namkham, a town situated along the China border, from the State Administration Council (SAC) on Tuesday, December 19.
An officer from the armed group’s communication department explained to SHAN that the turning point came after capturing the regime’s Sakhan Thit camp at around 1:30 am. Located on a strategic hill, it was the last one controlled by SAC in the area. Although TNLA captured much of the town on November 3, the junta was still firing shells at them from Sakhan Thit only a mile outside of Namkham. They also launched over 400 airstrikes on the Ta’ang fighters since the armed group initiated an offensive to take the camp about a month ago.
The officer said a number of enemy soldiers were captured alive from Sakhan Thit, and TNLA soldiers seized a cache of weapons, promising to provide additional details later.
The ethnic armed group also captured SAC’s camps in Namhsan town and all of the camps in the township sharing the same name where it’s located. In the town, TNLA’s information department also reported capturing the junta controlled dried tea leaf factory, police station, and all six of the regime’s administration offices. Four howitzers, many other weapons, ammunition and military equipment were captured.
The Ta’ang group started attacking SAC’s camps in the township on December 10 and seized Namhsan town by Friday. During the fighting, there were 64 people captured alive, including 30 soldiers and 3 family members, as well as 6 police and 25 of their family.
SAC shelled from its base in Mangton town with artillery and launched airstrikes during clashes. At least three civilians were killed by the airstrikes, and over 40 homes were damaged in Namhsan town. A SAC aircraft killed a 70-year-old man on Friday, and a school and some homes were destroyed by the bombardment when they caught on fire.
Since Operation 1027 started on October 27, SAC artillery attacks and air attacks killed 8 civilians, including 3 children, and wounded at least 20 people in Namhsan Township.
