16 May 2026 By Hsu Yee
NYAUNG-U, Myanmar — Anti-junta resistance forces near Myanmar’s ancient tourist hub of Bagan are bracing for a renewed military offensive, following a series of deadly clashes this week that left several regime soldiers dead.
A combined force of local guerrilla factions ambushed a 120-strong military column along the strategic Nyaung-U—Ngathayauk highway on Wednesday morning. According to 21 BAGAN – People Defense Force, the initial encounter triggered two separate firefights lasting over three hours, resulting in the deaths of at least four junta soldiers.
Following the setback, the military reportedly dispatched two heavy trucks carrying around 100 reinforcements from Nyaung-U to retrieve casualties and push through the resistance line. The combined junta force reached the garrison town of Ngathayauk on Thursday afternoon, where they remain heavily dug in.
“The junta troops inside the Ngathayauk police station are completely cut off and running low on supplies,” Ko Yakkha, a resistance fighter from 21 BAGAN, told MPA. “The regime is desperate to reassert territorial control over this sector because our forces have been constantly harassing them. They took heavy casualties on day one, so right now they are hunkering down and waiting for further reinforcements before launching a retaliatory sweep.”
The situation remains highly volatile. Guerrilla fighters returning from setting up tactical positions were ambushed by a hidden military outpost outside Ngathayauk late Friday night.
“The junta troops initiated a surprise attack using Energa rifle grenades and heavy mortar shells,” Ko Yakkha added. “An intense exchange of fire followed. Because it happened in total darkness, we are still verifying the number of casualties on their side.”
Wednesday’s successful highway ambush yielded a cache of military equipment and small arms ammunition. The operation was a coordinated effort by a coalition of local units, including 21 BAGAN-PDF, the Pakokku District Local Battalion (PDLB), Good Brothers, the Daung Yin Thway Civilian Guerrilla Force (DYT), and the Bagan Garuda Force.
Ngathayauk is situated roughly 15 miles south of Nyaung-U, a critical administrative town near the Bagan archaeological zone. While the military regime has gone to great lengths to project an image of peace and stability around the ancient temples to revive international tourism, the latest clashes underscore the fluid and dangerous nature of the conflict encroaching on the region’s primary transport veins.
The military authorities have not officially commented on the losses. Local resistance units have urged residents along the Nyaung-U corridor to monitor military movements closely and avoid unnecessary travel as the junta prepares its counter-offensive.
