The Myanmar military junta’s air force has launched continuous airstrikes on Mongkut (Mogok) town in an attempt to retake control from the Ta’ang (Palaung) National Liberation Army (TNLA), as fighting intensifies along the Shan–Mandalay border.

At around 7:30 a.m. on October 16, a junta jet fighter dropped two 250-pound bombs on Upper Nyaung Kone village in eastern Mongkut, an area currently under TNLA control. The explosions damaged a chicken farm and nearby homes, according to locals.

“A jet fighter came and dropped two 250-pound bombs. They fell and exploded at a chicken farm in Upper Nyaung Kone, so no one was hurt this time. Since it was early morning, we couldn’t decide whether to keep cooking breakfast or just run,” a woman from Mongkut told SHAN.

Similarly, on October 12, the military carried out another round of airstrikes between TNLA-controlled Mongkut and Mong Lon towns, dropping three bombs—one near Lel Gyi village and two near Pa Zi village—which damaged four homes, residents said.

In mid-July, the junta regained control of Nawnghkio town from the TNLA and has since maintained pressure along the Pyin Oo Lwin–Nawnghkio–Mongkut highway, combining air and ground offensives for more than two months.

A military observer from northern Shan State told SHAN that the junta’s recent offensives appear aimed at reclaiming strategic highways vital for cross-border trade with China.

“The military likely wants to regain control of the main highways used for trade with China. After getting Kyaukme and Hsipaw, it seems they are now determined to seize Mongkut as well. China will probably try to mediate for a ceasefire between the junta (now rebranded as the State Security and Peace Commission) and the TNLA,” the observer said.

On August 27, the junta and TNLA reportedly met in Kunming, China, where the TNLA offered to hand back Kyaukme and Hsipaw towns. However, sources said the military rejected the offer and insisted on retaking them by force.

By October 1, the junta had recaptured Kyaukme from the TNLA, marking the second town regained after Nawnghkio, and began moving toward Hsipaw, which locals now believe could become the third town lost by the TNLA.

Residents also report that the junta’s aerial bombardments have extended to Mong Lon, Mong Ngaw, Namtu, Namhsan, and Manton townships, causing panic in nearby Namkham—a town along the China–Myanmar border—where people remain on high alert for air raids.

Currently, the military is conducting daily air attacks along the Mandalay–Mongkut Road while simultaneously advancing a large-scale ground offensive that has led to frequent clashes with combined TNLA and People’s Defense Forces (PDF) troops.

Even as the junta publicly speaks of “peace,” it continues to wage intense offensives to regain lost territory ahead of the elections scheduled for December 28.