Min Aung Hlaing’s Rare Sagaing Visit Signals Escalation

The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has made a surprise trip to northern Sagaing Region, a stronghold of resistance forces, in what analysts see as a clear signal of planned military operations.

Arriving in Homalin on Sunday, the general met district officials and residents before addressing troops under the Northwestern Command. He urged soldiers to fully utilise “modern weapons and technologies” supplied by the military, while promising upgrades to the navy and air force.

The visit marks his first in years to the north of Sagaing, where resistance groups continue to hold significant territory. It follows the regime’s recent recapture of Banmauk near the Kachin border, and comes just days after Kachin Independence Army leader Gun Maw outlined plans to secure three Sagaing districts seen as the “gateway to Kachin State.”

Analysts say the timing is deliberate. “His visit was meant to counter Gun Maw’s message and signal that the military still holds ground in parts of Sagaing,” one told The Irrawaddy.

“But it also suggests that major clashes are likely.”

Despite the show of force, resistance remains entrenched. Shwe Pyi Aye, a town bordering Homalin, is still under opposition control, and at least six townships across Sagaing are held by anti-junta forces. Daily clashes continue, with Sagaing long regarded as one of the fiercest centres of resistance since the 2021 coup.

The region has endured years of airstrikes, artillery attacks and scorched-earth campaigns. According to the National Unity Government’s Ministry of Human Rights, Sagaing has suffered the highest number of massacres nationwide, with 194 cases recorded as of January 2026, claiming more than 1,800 lives.

During his meeting with locals, Min Aung Hlaing blamed unrest on “low education levels” and accused resistance groups of exploiting politics, extracting resources illegally and extorting civilians. He also repeated claims that the Kachin Independence Army is training and arming Sagaing’s resistance fighters.

His rare appearance in Homalin underscores the junta’s determination to reassert control. But with resistance forces deeply entrenched and casualties mounting, Sagaing remains a flashpoint in Myanmar’s ongoing conflict.

-2026-02-17