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| Gidon mountain base on Myitkyinar-Bamaw Road. |
The skirmishes between KIA and Burma Army has been going on there for more than 3 - 4 months but the decisive assault by Burma Army came on just yesterday (December-16) and just one day of coordinated air-artillery-infantry assault did the job that day.
Because of its extensive underground tunnels and reinforced bunkers the Gidon Mountain Base was claimed by KIA as un-destroyable fortress, whatever it means. But many hours-long air raids and artillery fires had utterly destroyed most of the bunkers and tunnels. It took Burmese infantry coming up the steep hill less than three hours to breach the fences and clear the hill side as air-bombardment and artillery fires had basically wiped out most Kachin resistance.
Once Gidon fell its next hill neighbour Lai-Hpawng mountain base also fell within a few hours as these two hills are on same level and so Burmese were able to use accurate heavy weapons like 120mm mortars to pound them to hell.
But casualties were very high on both sides especially on the KIA side and Kachins were lying dead all over the hilltop and its slopes. Later KIA General Gun Maw said in Laiza to the press that their Kachin Revolution is a very long march but not a single battle.
The result of this decisive battle is that Burmese Army is now able to completely control Myitkyinar-Bamaw Road since KIA had been disturbing the traffic on that road by using now fallen two mountain bases before for many years.
(Following 4 pictures are the aerial photos taken from Burmese Air Force MI-35 attack-choppers over Gidon KIA Base on December-16.)
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| Gidon at the beginning of artillery attack in the morning of December-16. |
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| Utterly-destroyed Gidon KIA Base at midday December-16 after the bombardment. |
Kachinland News (KLN) | September 22, 2016:
KIA sources said Burmese army troops made several attempts last week to seize KIA’s Nhkram Gidon post, located near Laiza on the road between Myitkyina and Laiza in Sama County, and Lai Hpawng post, located in Gara Yang area in Sadung County. Burmese army will not stop their offensives until they have those two frontline posts, said a KIA officer.
A combined force of about 300 Burmese army troops from 58th LIR, 121st LIB, 260th LIB, and 381st LIR on Wednesday launched another attack on KIA’s 252nd Mobile Battalion’s Nhkram Gidon post from three directions at around 7:30 am. This is the fourth time that Nhkram Gidon post has been attacked in a week.
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| A KIA man wounded at Gidon. |
The same frontline post was attacked yesterday with several artillery shells at around 5:15 pm. KIA sources said Burmese army troops approached Nhkram Gidon post from two directions following artillery attacks.
Gang Dau Yang-based Burmese army’s artillery unit fired 3 rounds of 105 mm howitzer on KIA positions near Nhkram on Sept 19 at around 2 pm. Burmese army’s artillery unit currently based at Lapai Kawng reportedly fired 2 artillery rounds on Nhkram Gidon post on Sept 18 at 10 pm, reported KIA frontline sources. Burmese army’s artillery unit currently stationed at Dingga on Wednesday fired several artillery rounds on KIA’s Lai Hpawng post at 7:30 am.
Lai Hpawng post was attacked with 8 mortar rounds on Sept 19 at 7 pm. In last week, a combined force of Burmese army’s 16th LIB, 50 th LIB, and 86 th LIB launched a ground assault on KIA’s Lai Hpawng Kawng Post followed by 20 artillery rounds.
Kagam Bum- based Burmese army’s artillery unit reportedly fired several 120 mm mortar rounds on Lai Hpawng post on Sept 19 at 3:30 pm. Burmese army’s artillery units from Nahpaw and Kagam on Wednesday reportedly fired several artillery rounds on KIA frontline positions beginning early in the morning.
This recent offensive by the Burma Army against Nhkram Gidawn Post and Lai Hpawng Post comes whilst Burma’s political elite are hosting the Panglong Peace Conference. During that conference the Burma Army has launched a military offensive against Kachin Independence Army (KIA) Nhkram Gidawn Post and Lai Hpawng Post.
The strategic significance of the two posts comes from the ability to shell toward neighboring Laisin Hill and other posts in the vicinity. The posts are on the high ground which offers any group who controls it a strategic advantage in the area
29 September – Burma Army Northern Command forces militia to fight
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| Northern Command |
At 1448 Burma Army troops assaulted KIA
Gidawn Post from the West side.
Burma Army Northern Command Commander
ordered Da-Law People Militia to conduct a combined attack on KIA Lai Hpawng Post and
Gidawn Post. The orders stated ‘if you are not involved in the attack on KIA
posts, we will cancel your salary and budget, and take action too’.
28 September – Burma Army Combined Assault
At 0730 on 28 September KIA soldiers from No. 252 Mobile Battalion defended Gidawn Post from an advance of the combined forces of Burma Army Light Infantry Battalions (LIB) 381, 382, 383, 384. The Burma Army advanced with mortar support.
At 1100-1230 the Burma Army attacked
and fighting stalled. Two Burma Army jets flew overhead but were unable to
strike due to weather conditions.
At 1520 the Burma Army attacked again
until 1740, when they retreated.
27 September – Indirect Mortal Fire
Between 1400-1700 on 27 September Burma Army troops fired 10 mortar shells from Lapai Kan and four mortar shells from Nhkram toward the side of Gidawn Hill.
25 September – KIA Counter Attack
At 1200 on 24 Sepember KIA soldiers from No.252 Mobile Battalion attacked Burma Army soldiers arriving near Gidawn Post, the fighting lasted about 15 minutes.
23 September – Burma Army Helicopter and Jet Attack
At 1504 one helicopter struck KIA
Gidawn Post.
At 1435 a combined force of Burma Army
attacked the post from the Dingga side.
At 1355 one jet fighter and one
helicopter struck KIA Lai Hprawng Post.
At 1225 Burma Army shelled Lai Hpawng
area from Gang Dau Yang with one 105mm artillery round.
At 1234 Burma Army shelled the area
again with two 105mm artillery rounds.
22 September – Burma Army Maintaining Pressure against Khkram Gidawn Post
On 22 September Burma Army troops fired fourteen 105mm shells from Gang Dau Yang base between 1542-1655 and 5 120mm shells from Mali Yang at 1550 toward Nhkram. After mortar shelling, the Burma Army fired small arms from all of their positions surrounding Nhkram Gidawn Post.
21 September – Burma Army Reinforces and encloses KIA position
On 21 September between 0730-1240 a combined assault of Burma Army units raided KIA Gidawn Post two times.
At 1230 another Burma Army column
advanced to where water is fetched and where KIA soldiers could push back at
Nhkram Gidawn Post.
At 0935 Burma Army shelled mortars from
Ding Ga, Kagam toward Lai Hpawng. A combined force of Burma Army and Ta La
P.T.Ts numbering about 200 troops were deployed to Lai Hpawng.
20 September – Burma Army continues month long push against posts
On 20 September between 1720-1850 a KIA Sergeant Major Maraw fought to his death against the Burma Army. KIA Lt. Shawng was injured and L/Corpl Lang and three others were missing in the Gidawn clashes.
At 1720 KIA soldiers came to fire one
RPG projectile at Burma Army Infantry Battalion (IB) 121. The Burma Army
reacted with small arms fire in all directions, which lasted about 30 minutes.
Kachinland News | October 19, 2016:
Burmese army fired 5 rounds of 81 mm on Gidon post and 4 artillery rounds on Mara Hting Hput Bum on Oct 17 between 4 pm and 6 pm. On the same day, several artillery rounds were fired on KIA’s Mai Saw post from Nhkram. KIA troops had reportedly returned artillery fire on advancing Burmese army troops who are encroaching on KIA’s 252nd Mobile Battalion territory by clearing the forests and building roads towards KIA positions.
On Oct 16, Burmese army’s Nhkram-based troops fired 3 artillery rounds on KIA 3rd Battalion’s Lai Hpawng post between 2 am to 6 am. Similarly, several mortar rounds were fired on KIA 252nd Mobile Battalion’s Gidon post on Oct 16 between 10 am and 6 pm.
Myanmar Air Force’s fighter jets were seen flying over Gidon post and Lai Hpawng post on Oct 17 and 18 but did not fire rockets and missiles on KIA positions, said a frontline source. He said it was probably because of cloud coverage over the KIA outposts.
Meanwhile, several local sources
reported Burmese army reinforcing its bases in southeastern Kachin State. A
local source who lives along Mandalay-Myitkyina railroad said he has seen
several Burmese soldiers in at least three coaches in Mandalar-Myitsone express
train on Oct 17. The source said the soldiers wore uniform with archery bow
patches (Batch of Burmese Army Northern Command) on their shoulder sleeves.
Kachinland News (KLN) | October 11, 2016:
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| Burmese army's 105 mm howitzers firing from miles away had utterly wiped out KIA Gidon mountain fortress. |
Kachinland News (KLN) | October 11, 2016:
Myanmar Air Force continues its
air raid campaign on KIA 252 Mobile Battalion’s Gidon Post and KIA 3rd
Battalion’s Lai Hpawng Post. Two fighter jets, believed to be Russian-made
Mikoyan MiG-29, Tuesday bombed Gidon Post and Lai Hpawng Post in two sorties beginning
8:50 am, reported a KIA source. A pair of fighter jets made first round of
bombing between 8:50 am – 9:20 am and another round between 9:40 am – 10:10 am.
Similarly, Two Myanmar Air
Force’s fighter jets bombarded KIA’s Gidon and Lai Hpawng Post at around 8:20
am on Oct 10. Following the airstrikes, Myanmar Tatmadaw troops fired several
artillery rounds on KIA outposts, reported a frontline source. A ground source
alleged that one fighter jet briefly entered into Chinese airspace after
bombing KIA’s Lai Hpawng Post.
The Burma Army attack against
Kachin Independence Army (KIA) Gidon Post is being coordinated by Military
Operations Command (MOC) 2 oversight. Burma Army Light Infantry Battalions
(LIB) 383 and 382 lead the attack and are being supported by various other
units.
Gidon Bum hill is the location of
Gidon Post and it is a very small and very narrow hill. Gidon Bum area allows a
group to control the area along the Myitkyinar and Bamaw car road. This is why
the Burma Army want to take the post back
This recent offensive by the
Burma Army against Nhkram Gidawn Post and Lai Hpawng Post comes whilst Burma’s
political elite are hosting the Panglong Peace Conference. During that
conference the Burma Army has launched a military offensive against Kachin
Independence Army (KIA) Nhkram Gidawn Post and Lai Hpawng Post.
The strategic significance of the
two posts comes from the ability to shell toward neighboring Laisin Hill and
other posts in the vicinity. The post in on the high ground which offers any
group who controls it a strategic advantage in the area.
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| Two Burma-Air-Force Mig-29 fighter jets attacking KIA Gidon post. |
