Hundreds of Myanmar junta troops surrender after flotilla ambushed by Kachin forces

The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) said they hit about eight vessels carrying troops, weapons, and supplies en route to the strategically important city of Bhamo. The ambush is part of efforts by resistance forces to cut off supplies to areas controlled by the military junta in northern Myanmar. A spokesperson for the KIA said the ambush occurred early Monday morning, and the military flotilla was ambushed on its way to Bhamo. "We sank the boats and urged the soldiers to surrender," the spokesperson added. "Hundreds surrendered." Further details from the KIA regarding the exact location of the ambush or the number of surrendered soldiers have not yet been released. The Myanmar military has not commented on the ambush or the surrender of troops. Since the coup in February 2021, intense fighting has been ongoing between the military junta and pro-democracy forces in Myanmar, with resistance groups attempting to cut off military supply routes in many areas. Bhamo is a strategically important base for the military junta in northern Myanmar, and cutting off supply routes to this region could be a significant blow to the junta.