There was fierce fighting when the junta launched a counteroffensive against the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA)-led coalition holding Naungcho (Nawnghkio) Township, in northern Shan State, on 19 October 2024.

Previously, junta troops gathered and made preparations in Pyin Oo Lwin Town, 57 km from Naungcho Town in Mandalay Region. Then, on 19 October, they started moving towards Naungcho Town but were intercepted by a coalition of TNLA and People’s Defence Force (PDF) fighters near Ohnmathee Village in Naungcho Township and there was intense fighting.

A TNLA source said to SHAN: “The junta troops tried to advance from Pyin Oo Lwin to Ohnmathee, but the TNLA managed to stop them. Because of the TNLA’s resistance, the junta couldn’t move forward and had to hold back for now. From what we saw on the ground, the clashes were intense.”

Pro-junta Telegram channels reported that junta troops successfully captured TNLA camps in Zarli, Gantgaw, and Ohnmathee villages in Naungcho Township, but the TNLA source denied these claims.

“That information is wrong. The TNLA successfully repelled the junta troops’ offensive, forcing them into a defensive position,” the source said.

A Naungcho resident confirmed that there had been intense fighting around Ohnmathee Village. He also explained that the junta had shut the main Pyin Oo Lwin to Naungcho Road at the Wat Wun checkpoint on the border between northern Shan State and Mandalay Region.

There is also a secondary road that bypasses the Wat Wun checkpoint. Initially, the junta also closed this route but they reopened it on 19 October. However, the Naungcho resident recommended that people not take the bypass road that avoids the checkpoint.

He said: “Yes, the fighting is intense. No one should come from Pyin Oo Lwin to Naungcho right now. Although the junta troops have closed the Wat Wun Gate, the Wat Wun Village bypass road has reopened, so it’s concerning that travellers might use that route to come to Naungcho, and I strongly advise avoiding it. Travelling from Naungcho to Pyin Oo Lwin is still possible for now, but residents in Pyin Oo Lwin should remain vigilant about the current military situation.”

SHAN is still collecting data on the ground to assess casualty numbers and the military situation.