The Irrawaddy Less than half of a Myanmar military supply convoy has reached Bhamo in Kachin State, after fierce clashes with resistance forces along the Irrawaddy River. Out of 15 vessels carrying reinforcements, rations and ammunition, only seven managed to dock in the embattled town on Thursday. The flotilla, which left Mandalay on 21 August, faced sustained attacks from the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and allied groups. Regime aircraft bombed villages along the route in Sagaing and Kachin, destroying homes but causing few casualties thanks to advance warnings from resistance forces. By the time the convoy entered Kachin State on 28 August, it was already under heavy fire near Bokone in Shwegu Township. Several vessels were stranded for days as junta warplanes dropped bombs and cluster munitions. Resistance fighters seized a base at Zinbon and destroyed a tugboat, tightening their grip on the river corridor. The fiercest fighting erupted on Wednesday at a chokepoint near Shwegu. Videos show resistance troops ordering regime soldiers adrift in the river to swim ashore and surrender. According to KIA sources, around 180 personnel and family members, including women and children, laid down their arms. Seven vessels were sunk or disabled, while the remaining seven, including two gunboats, limped on to Bhamo under air cover. Colonel Naw Bu of the KIA said the junta’s reliance on river supply lines left it vulnerable: “They transport supplies via the waterway every year. With that kind of method, they cannot last long.” He stressed Bhamo’s strategic importance as Kachin’s second‑largest town and vowed to continue the fight. Yet analysts caution that fresh supplies may embolden regime forces to launch new offensives. Former army captain Zin Yaw, now a military observer, suggested the junta could shift from defence to attack in northern Bhamo, where resistance groups hold positions. The battle for Bhamo has raged since late 2024, when the KIA briefly seized much of the town before being forced back by airstrikes and drone assaults. For the Kachin movement, the fight carries symbolic weight. Gun Maw, vice chair of the Kachin Independence Council, recently described it as “a political battle for dignity” during an anniversary address in Texas. With only seven vessels reaching their destination, the latest clash underscores both the resilience of the resistance and the junta’s dependence on vulnerable supply routes. Observers expect further heavy fighting as both sides dig in around Bhamo. -2026-09-07
